National Adult Literacy Database

The Saskatchewan Literacy Awards of Merit provide a unique opportunity for you to honour those who have been a beacon for literacy in your community. If you know of a worthy recipient, please take a moment to nominate them under one of several categories.

The Saskatchewan Aboriginal Literacy Awards celebrate the achievements of individuals in the field of literacy. Honorees are in the following categories: Elder, Learner, Youth, Practitioner and Business/Organization. Nominations are being accepted until March 16, 2012.

This Alberta event brings together community leaders, education institutions, community learning organizations, government representatives, employers, media and other community partners who are passionate about adult learning.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently announced that the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency will provide $27 million over five years to expand adult basic education in Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

More than 150 schools throughout Newfoundland and Labrador have received grants of up to $3,500 to take part in activities to promote the development of mathematics skills and highlight the practical application of mathematics in everyday life.

The participants in the Yorkton Friendship Centre’s project will attend life and employability workshops that focus on topics such as resumé writing, communication and leadership. They will then apply their new skills and gain hands-on experience through work placements with local employers.

There are three components to the problem of labour shortages. The first two – an aging and shrinking work force, and a knowledge-skills shortage – have been well documented. But the third is a shortage of the essential skills required in any job.

The Big Rothesay Read in New Brunswick is about to embark on its fourth year of involving the entire student body of Rothesay High School and increasing numbers of teachers, parents and citizens in a community-wide reading initiative.

"This online tool is one of many ways in which we are engaging with parents about their child’s education,” said Thomas Lukaszuk, Alberta minister of education. “In addition to course and subject matter, parents can also use the tool to explore online learning materials to help their child with their studies.”

In rural and remote areas of Canada, women make up approximately 45 per cent of the labour force, but significant gaps still exist between women and men in labour force participation rates, employment rates and income. This year's theme for International Women's Day and International Women's Week celebrates women's roles in the economic prosperity of rural, remote and Northern regions.

The Planning Committee of the Research-in-Practice movement in Saskatchewan has launched a new website with hundreds of literacy/basic education resources, including the outcomes of Saskatchewan practitioner studies conducted in classrooms over the past three years.

This course was designed to give learners a sense of what online learning is like and to help teachers assess learners’ comfort with computers. You can use this course as is or customize and adapt it to your program’s needs.

This year, ABC Life Literacy Canada, Frontier College and the Ontario Literacy Coalition have co-written a social media guide to encourage Canadian organizations to celebrate adult learning and raise awareness of lifelong learning in Canada.

The Northwest Territories Literacy Council has several resources on its website to help you observe Aboriginal Languages Month. Included are the announcement, a languages map, a quiz, ideas for adult education programs and tips for families.

Randstad Canada President Jan Hein Bax says finding ways to bridge the gaps within this new multi-generational workforce takes great skill - and it all starts with gaining an understanding of how each generation thinks, and what's important to them.