National Adult Literacy Database

The launch of ourlanguages.gc.ca on the go! coincides with the third anniversary of the Language Portal of Canada, the website that showcases Canadian expertise in the area of language.

The Homelessness Partnering Secretariat and the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills have worked together to develop a guide which highlights easy-to-use literacy and essential skills tools available through HRSDC. Learn about the new guide during a teleforum on October 25 beginning at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time.

Join the party to celebrate one of Canada’s most prestigious book awards, The Scotiabank Giller Prize, at the Scotiabank Giller Light Bash, in support of Frontier College. This year, there are parties held from coast to coast. You can celebrate in Halifax, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver. On Tuesday, October 30, join the action by watching the Scotiabank Giller Prize! Each party will have its own special fun.

ABC Life Literacy Canada has announced the 2012 Life Literacy Award winners in recognition of outstanding achievement in adult literacy and essential skills. Awards were presented in the categories of community literacy, workplace education, journalism and corporate excellence.

The Canadian Library Association is pleased to announce that October has been designated as Canadian Library Month. The idea for a month dedicated to library and information services in Canada was developed by library partners from across the country to help raise public awareness of the valuable role that libraries play in the lives of Canadians.

Government ministers in the Atlantic region responsible for adult literacy are continuing their commitment to that cause. On the occasion of International Literacy Day September 8, they launched a series of posters highlighting literacy champions from the four Atlantic provinces. The posters recognize the importance of strong literacy skills to individuals, communities, economies and societies.

"Literacy, if we need to be reminded, is the great enabler that allows individuals to unlock their potential. It’s the basic skill set on which most other capabilities are built. As we celebrate International Literacy Day (proclaimed by UNESCO in 1965) this Saturday, we should also remember that literacy is a fundamental human right."

The tireless work of Senator Joyce Fairbairn "changed the perception of the importance of literacy as a federal issue, bringing new resources and new status as a national concern. It’s hard to remember that at that time it was a novel idea that the federal government might have a larger role to play in supporting Canadians to meet their literacy skills needs." -- Margaret Eaton, President of ABC Life Literacy Canada

This summer 23 tutors are tutoring 700 students in one-on-one session across the Island from Tignish to Souris. They are working mostly in libraries, but some tutors are in schools and community centres, says the PEI Literacy Alliance, host of the Summer Tutoring Program for Kids.

We invite you to send us information about events you may be hosting in your community or projects you may be working on to mark the occasion on or around September 8, 2012.

The London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games offer an excellent opportunity for parents and children to cheer on their favourite athletes while practising literacy skills.

"I have no trouble remembering my first class with Frontier College: in an old railway box car, with five or six tired, but expectant faces looking up at a green, cloth “blackboard” tacked to the wall, where some English idioms and their Portuguese equivalents were chalked up in columns. My education began that evening. It’s still going on. Thank you, Frontier College. You gave me my teaching life." -- Colin Brzezicki

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada has awarded $199,721 to support a partnership project that targets university students at risk for academic difficulties because of a history of unidentified reading difficulties. NALD is part of the project’s knowledge dissemination team.

With this support, 400 northern youth aged 14 to 30 will begin a dialogue with mentors. These 400 young people will be exposed to Canadians professionals and given examples of potential career avenues in the rest of Canada, while also incorporating local values and local opportunities that reflect the reality of Yukon careers, history, and heritage. Mentors will gain awareness and knowledge about Canada's North and its people.

The consortium had asked the Supreme Court to interpret the fair dealing provision in the Copyright Act to permit teachers to make copies of short excerpts from a copyright-protected work, such as a book or a newspaper, for distribution to students.