National Adult Literacy Database

Much to the dismay of many Scrabble traditionalists, new slang terms, such as "innit,” "thang" and "grrl," have been added to the official list of words that can be used in the popular board game.

“Kids don’t just come to school with a backpack full of books. They come with a lot of emotional issues,” says Melanie Mizzoni, child and youth worker with the Catch class program at CAMH, which is offered in partnership with the Toronto District School Board.

The Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick is accepting nominations for the Sheree Fitch Adult Learner Scholarship Awards. These awards were initiated in honour of Sheree Fitch, the Literacy Coalition’s honorary patron. They are sponsored by the New Brunswick Peter Gzowski Invitational Golf Tournament for Literacy.

Social bookmarking tools let users save their bookmarks and share them publicly. They also allow communities of users to look at websites and keep track of the ones they think are valuable. Some of these users are interested in adult basic education and literacy.

As part of its Strategic Plan, Frontier College has announced it “will reach more learners by 2014 through bold leadership. We will achieve this by expanding our network of supporters and by demonstrating value and performance.”

Elections Canada understands the importance of giving all Canadians equal opportunity to exercise their right to vote. That is why they have created a web section with information written in plain language. The site provides voters with important information regarding how to vote and voting eligibility.

Dawn Arnold, volunteer organizer, says it is fitting the bilingual festival is set in Moncton, because New Brunswickers are born storytellers. She said the festival strives to improve literacy among New Brunswick children, which in turn should benefit N.B. society, the economy and its way of life.

“We’re going through continual program review,” says NBCC CEO and President Marilyn Luscombe. “If a program is no longer meeting the needs of the labour market or students, or has been chronically under-enrolled, we’ll probably switch that to another program.”

Cash-strapped students have a number of ways they can reduce their taxes now, as well as in the future, says CIBC’s tax and estate planning expert Jamie Golombek, in the third of a series of tax tips this month.

More has to be done to teach young people about finances and it has to be done at home by parents willing to talk about money with a clarity and directness that now is lacking, says a financial analyst and newspaper columnist.

To change a culture of defeatism to a school-going culture among at-risk youth borders on the miraculous. Pathways to Education, a non-profit agency, has achieved just this kind of near-miracle in Toronto’s Regent Park, and is being replicated across the country.

About 300 high school students from around New Brunswick got a sneak peek at the automotive industry in Moncton recently. It was the first student automotive career day in the province, giving them a chance to take in seminars on industry and what it has to offer.

“Canada’s social and economic future lies in the continued educational growth of its citizens,” said Andrew Parkin, director general of CMEC. “Whether it is learning a new language, improving our literacy, or acquiring the skills needed for a new career, adult learning offers us the chance to grow as individuals and in doing so create positive change in our homes, communities and country.”

“The federal government plays a central role in funding programs that aim to improve quality and accessibility of post-secondary education in Canada,” said Zachary Dayler, national director of CASA. "The federal and provincial governments must work collaboratively toward a sustainable funding model that respects provincial and federal jurisdictions.”

In this inaugural issue of ‘Insights,’ OLES focuses on employer perceptions of workplace literacy and essential skills training.