National Adult Literacy Database

Canada will launch a brand new program on April 1 to recruit innovative immigrant entrepreneurs who will create new jobs and spur economic growth, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney has announced. "Our new Start-Up Visa will help make Canada the destination of choice for the world’s best and brightest to launch their companies," he said.

This event is a professional development opportunity that will provide insights into how practitioners may access the data and information contained within four powerful resources to enhance their knowledge and the quality of service they deliver to their clients.

Help inform and shape thinking around policy, practice and research as we prepare for PIAAC. The Institute will examine and compare the learning from IALS and ALL across Canada and other countries, and explore how we can make the most effective use of the soon-to-be released PIAAC results. We will look at the new segments – problem-solving in technology-rich environments and the reading components – and at the implications of changes in levels and cut-off.

Community Literacy Classroom on Wheels, popularly known as the COW Bus, visited the Samson Bingo Hall in Hobbema, Alberta, on January 18, 2013. Over 3,000 books were distributed to First Nations families on the occasion of the family literacy celebration.

"As librarians, we see first-hand what materials kids are actually reading and getting excited about. Over the past few years, there’s been a lot of anticipation in children’s books with new trends bubbling up to the surface each year. But what does the future hold for children's literature?"

This month the ESL Literacy Network is launching Education Opens Doors, a video featuring learners in the Bridge program at Bow Valley College. The program provides pathways to further education for immigrant youth, ages 18-25, with interrupted formal education.

Funding will be available for not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses to create high-quality summer job opportunities for young people from 15 to 30 years of age who are full-time students intending to return to their studies in the next school year.

Social and Enterprise Development Innovations (SEDI) has announced that the TD Financial Literacy Grant Fund has awarded $837,321 in grants to 12 community organizations engaged in financial literacy projects across Canada.

The New Year is here, and with it come promises of change – eating healthier, going to the gym and getting a new job, perhaps. Improving your literacy skills can also help you make the ultimate change.

The Northeast Edmonton Literacy Network is promoting its Easy-To-Read Sign Project. A work in progress and related to health literacy, the project includes a booklet with tips on making easy-to-read signs. It includes sample signs that are free to print and use for non-commercial purposes.

Canadians across the country have an opportunity to show appreciation for extraordinary volunteers in their communities. The call for nominations for the Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards is open until March 1, 2013.