National Adult Literacy Database

On Wednesday, October 6, 2010, the Toronto skyline will turn orange in honour of the life literacy cause and to commemorate ABC Life Literacy Canada’s 20th anniversary. Orange is ABC Life Literacy Canada’s official colour.

Raise-a-Reader, a year-round initiative that raises funds for family literacy programs across Canada, has raised $15-million since its national launch in 2002. The program has also helped educate Canadians about literacy issues and how improved literacy levels have a positive impact on our country's economy and social wellbeing.

Aboriginal education, particularly stronger student outcomes and current federal funding levels, was the primary focus of Saskatchewan ministers participating in the 98th Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) meeting on September 23-24 in Winnipeg.

TORONTO – September 28, 2010 – ABC Life Literacy Canada, in partnership with Grass Roots Press, and with support from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, today launched the first six (of 12) titles in the innovative Good Reads series for adult literacy learners. “Being able to connect adult learners to bestselling Canadian authors is an incredibly powerful experience for all involved,” said Margaret Eaton, President of ABC Life Literacy Canada.

Reading is essential not only to our education and our work, but also to our enjoyment. Books and magazines make it possible for readers to explore various themes and discover new worlds.

Celebrate NWT Literacy Week September 27-October 1 by taking part in these numeracy activities on Monday.

(CNN) -- Appreciate the apostrophe, salute the semicolon and exalt the exclamation point Friday. It's National Punctuation Day!

York University's Glendon College is breaking ground on its new Centre for Excellence in French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. With assistance from the Ontario government, the college is building the new facility to improve access to postsecondary French-language programs for Francophone students.

"It's the most important development in my 30-year career," speech-language pathologist Sandy Collins told me last week when I visited White Rock elementary to watch as two young girls - Kaitlyn Peterson and Sarah Cairns, pictured above with Collins - showed me how they use the Fast ForWord software.

Frontier College welcomes donations of books and other reading materials to the Frontier College Free Books Program.

OTTAWA, Sept. 20 /CNW Telbec/ - Several First Nations of Quebec under the leadership of their Chiefs are taking part in the National Week of Action on Education to denounce the shocking attitude of the federal government regarding the education of First Nations.

News from the literacy and essential skills field is posted daily to NALD and NALD@Work. If you see news happening in your area or come across an interesting story online, let us know by emailing contactnald@nald.ca.

September 13-19, 2010, is Adult Education and Family Literacy Week in the United States. It has been designed to raise public awareness of adult education and family literacy, assist adult learners in need of literacy services, and support increased access to adult education and family literacy programs.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says the United States could learn a lot from Ontario's education system. After touring a Toronto high school, Mr. Duncan says he was impressed by the creativity used by teachers and principals to keep kids in the classroom.

In conversation this week, Linda Shohet, executive director of the Centre for literacy, explained the various measurable degrees to which people are literate or – in too many cases – not literate enough to handle the complexities of modern life.