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Welcome!

November & December 2020

Thank you for reading the Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick's newsletter.

Scroll down for updates on The Coalition's work, relevant reading, and much more!
Help us make our vision a reality!
 

A Message from the Executive Director 




We are thrilled to have received a 2020 Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award (LIA) Honourable Mention Award for our Essential Skills for Atlantic Fisheries project. You can read more about it further down in this newsletter.

As we resume our fall activities, I am acutely aware of how adults, children, and youth without literacy skills have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic at a time when literacy skills have never been more important to survive.

Through our recent survey on the Impact of Covid on our New Brunswick Literacy sector we have been hearing many stories of how our dedicated literacy program providers and teachers have used their creativity to adapt and continue to deliver their programs. Special thanks and appreciation for these amazing people who deserve our attention and support. Now more than ever we need to make literacy a priority and do what is necessary to ensure that our literacy challenge in New Brunswick is met!

I look forward to seeing many of you as we come together virtually at our Board and Annual General meeting on October 7th.

Best wishes to you and your family for an enjoyable and safe fall!

Lynda Homer
Executive Director

              2020 Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell Literacy Awards              

Our Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell Literacy Awards may have looked quite different this year, but we are happy to announce that the virtual event was a success!  Taking place on Zoom for the first time, the award ceremony was held on November 26th with approximately 70 participants.  Lynda Homer, LCNB Executive Director, was Master of Ceremonies.  Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, Dominic Cardy, brought greetings from the province and spoke about the importance of literacy, which is relevant now more than ever in these turbulent times.  Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell spoke about the power of literacy and how important these awards are.  Finally, Brent Melanson, LCNB President, gave the closing remarks.

As a special highlight, a video was put together by LCNB with messages recorded by friends and coworkers to congratulate the winners.  This video was presented at the end of the ceremony after the winners accepted their awards.  Congratulations to the 2020 winners!  Thank you to everyone who participated in the Zoom ceremony!

For more information including details on each of the award recipients,
click here.

           Essential Skills for Atlantic Fisheries (ESAF) Testimonials           

This is short video and a synopsis about our Essential Skills for Atlantic Fisheries project!  The project received national recognition and an honourable mention award from ABC Life Literacy's 2020 Canada Life Literacy Innovation Awards.  Our project partners were Newfoundland and Labrador Laubach Literacy, P.E.I. Literacy Alliance and Literacy Nova Scotia.  This video and synopsis both highlight the impact this project had.

To check out the synopsis, click here.

                                 Learning at the Museum Update                                 

ABC Life Literacy Canada's Learning at the Museum program, featured in our last newsletter, is now running until January.  This is a free cultural literacy opportunity for adult learners.

For details about the program, visit
this page.  You can also watch this informational webinar to learn more.

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              Canadian Book of the Month              
 
Restigouche: The Long Run of the Wild River

Philip Lee is a journalist and an instructor at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, NB.  His new book, Restigouche: The Long Run of the Wild River, was released this Fall.  Lee canoed the river to understand how we value nature in the face of industrial development  It offers a unique perspective on the Restigouche, its impact on the people who live beside and along the river, and their impact on this natural phenomenon.

The Restigouche River flows through the remote border region between the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick, its magically transparent waters, soaring forest hillsides, and population of Atlantic salmon creating one of the most storied wild spaces on the continent.

In The News


The world is a happening place! Here are some stories we think are worth reading.

7 ways meaningful activities can help us get through the coronavirus pandemic
November 2020 | Mary Ann McColl | The Conversation

We hear over and over that it is important to remain occupied during pandemic restrictions. People are gardening, baking bread and taking on DIY projects in record numbers. But what exactly does all this “occupation” do for us in stressful times?

Meaningful activities can be a source of healing and relief in stressful times. In the fall of 2011, in response to the events of September 11, I contributed a position paper to an expert panel of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation that sought to offer guidance on meaningful activities. Although the current circumstances are dramatically different, the argument is much the same. Being occupied is good for us, and its benefits are even greater when we are beset with uncertainty, distress or upheaval.

As long as human history has been recorded, we have known that it is important for human beings to be occupied in meaningful ways. Based on an exhaustive review of the international literature, there is solid evidence for seven ways that meaningful activities can support our well-being in difficult times.

To read on, click here.

Future Skills Council report to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
November 2020 | Brigid Hayes

How Emerging Technologies Are Impacting Our Workplace | Future Skills Council

The Future Skills Council (not to be confused with the Future Skills Centre) presented its report Canada – A Learning Nation: A Skilled, Agile Workforce Ready to Shape the Future to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough on November 25, 2020.

The Council comprises representatives from the public and private sectors, labour, Indigenous groups, and not-for-profit organizations. Its mandate is to provide advice to the minister on emerging skills and workforce trends. (See https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills/council.html for more details about the Council)

The report identifies five priorities:

  1. Helping Canadians make informed choices
  2. Equality of opportunity for lifelong learning
  3. Skills development to support Indigenous self-determination
  4. New and innovative approaches to skills development and validation
  5. Skills development for sustainable futures

To read on, click here.

Are we clear?  Writing well can be key to your career
January 2016 | Bart Perkins | Computerworld

As students, most of us probably wished we had fewer papers to write. Wasn’t there a more efficient way to demonstrate that we had learned the things we needed to learn?

What we probably didn’t realize is that by writing so often, we were learning how to write. And knowing how to write is a key skill in many occupations, including IT. But for IT staffers who didn’t absorb the lesson and still don’t write well, there’s still hope.

When project requirements, business cases, IT strategies, supplier contracts and other documents are not clearly written, they are likely to be misinterpreted. The result is often additional work, with cost overruns, systems that don’t meet user needs, legal disputes and other problems. Even a simple email requesting a 2:00 call can be misinterpreted if the time zone is not specified and callers are in different parts of the world. Moreover, business letters, memos, presentations, podcasts and videos are often read or watched months or years after they were created, without any additional explanation from the author. The time lag can complicate matters and misunderstandings even further.

To read on, click here.

Helpful Online Resources


Here is a list of online resources that might be helpful to you and your family as we go this extraordinary time. They include important information, ideas, literacy games, story telling sites and lots of fun activities for the whole family.

 Melanie: Free New Brunswick Literacy Asset Map 
Melanie is a bilingual tool, which enables families, educators and other service providers to find resources, tools, events, and programs to help support and advance early childhood literacy.  Click here to use Melanie!

 Department of Education Resources for Learning at Home 
NB Department of Education has prepared this resource as a support for families with children who are learning at home. Click the link “Learning at Home: Resources for Families”: https://www2.gnb.ca/…/depa…/education/learning_at_home.html

 Family Literacy Resources from the Literacy Coalition Website 
Here are just a few of the many resources found on the Literacy coalition website under the Research and Resources tab at https://nbliteracy.ca/

Let’s Learn! A parent’s guide to giving your child a great start - Containing tips and ideas for encouraging family literacy in everyday life and lots of fun activities for the whole family.

Family Literacy in the Outdoors - Ideas for enjoying the outdoors with your family: Natural outdoor spaces are rich learning environments for all ages no matter what the season or weather.

Sharing Books with Babies - This delightful video contains helpful information and tips for parents wishing to support their children’s early literacy development from birth.

                                              For more helpful resources, click here                                                 


 COVID-19 Family Resources 

  • Click here for understanding COVID-19 news coverage, how to stay calm for yourself and your kids and suggestions for what to watch, read, and play.
  • Here is an entire list of education companies offering free subscriptions due to school closing. 
  • Tips and resources that can help keep kids entertained, engaged and learning while stuck inside: Resources for Families During the Coronavirus Pandemic (There are things you can do with children on the Fun page.)
  • On The Loose: A Guide to Life Online For Post-Secondary Students: This document supports young adults who are experiencing new freedoms and challenges in their post- secondary life. It covers a variety of digital issues that students may require guidance on, including: schoolwork; money and security; relationships online; and trying to stay healthy. 
 Fun Learning Games 


Top Marks Literacy Games:
PBS Kids Literacy and Math Games:

Community Initiatives

 
 Born to Read NB 
Born to Read NB is an early childhood initiative that promotes the joy of reading aloud to babies. Parents of newborns in New Brunswick are given a bright red bag containing information on early childhood development and library programs and a special selection of books to read with baby. For more information about Born to Read NB, go to our website at www.borntoreadnb.com. If you are aware of a family with young children who was missed at birth or has moved here from another province and would like to receive a Born to Read bag, please let us know by email at info@borntoreadnb.com or call President, Lynda Homer at 457-0331.Adult Literacy Fredericton

 Adult Literacy Fredericton 
Formerly Laubach Literacy Fredericton, Adult Literacy Fredericton provides a free one-to-one tutoring service to adults 18 and older who want to improve their reading and writing skills.  Anyone who is interested in upgrading their reading and writing skills, or in becoming a volunteer should contact the coordinator at 458-1396 or email info@adultliteracyfredericton.org.

 Elementary Literacy Inc. (ELF) 
If you are interested in working with elementary students to improve their literacy skills, consider becoming a volunteer with Elementary Literacy Inc. To find out more and to register as a volunteer, visit their website.
 

 Frontier College 
Frontier College is a national, non-profit literacy organization that was founded in 1899. We work with children, teens, adults and families who need help to improve their literacy skills. We work with a variety of partner organizations to deliver volunteer-run, community-based programs across Canada. Frontier College is accredited under the Imagine Canada Standards program. To find out more visit their website or Facebook.
For more information, please contact Johnny St-Onge, NB Regional Coordinator, 506-450-7923,            jst-onge@frontiercollege.ca.

 Learning Disabilities Association of New Brunswick (LDANB) 
LDANB is proud to be offering the Barton Reading and Spelling System in the greater Fredericton area. This literacy program aims to improve the reading, spelling and writing skills of those who have a reading disability (Dyslexia) or reading difficulties. Barton is a specialized one-on-one tutoring system based on the Orton-Gillingham method that teaches the phonemic structure of our written language using a multi-sensory approach. LCNB is proud to support LDANB by providing funding for financial subsidies for low-income families to be able to participate in this program. To find out more click here.
 

 Saint John Learning Exchange (SJLE) 
The Learning Exchange is Saint John's leader in adult education, training, and career development. They are a non-profit organization that has become an authority on innovative programming that meets the unique needs of everyone who walks through their doors. If you or someone you know is looking for support to meet academic or employment goals, they have the programming and resources you need. To learn more about the Saint John Learning Exchange visit their website.

 Community Adult Learning Programs (CALP) 
Community Adult Learning Programs can help you with things like GED preparation and digital literacy and just getting better at math, reading and writing. The Academic Adult Learning Program is flexible; You can join almost any time and work at your own skill level and pace.  If you have not finished high school, this program can help you get ready to write the GED test. The Digital Literacy program can be offered in an academic centre, a workplace or a community centre. You can find more information about the programs available in your area by clicking here.

 Laubach Literacy New Brunswick (LLNB) 
Laubach Literacy New Brunswick (LLNB) is a non-profit, charitable organization whose trained volunteers help New Brunswick adults improve their basic reading, writing and math skills through a free, confidential program. LLNB volunteers work one-to-one with learners, using materials relevant to learners’ literacy levels and daily lives. To learn more about Laubach Literacy New Brunswick and to become a volunteer please visit their website or contact them at 1-877-633-8899. Laubach Literacy NB has a new email address: info@llnb.ca - please update your records.

 Do you have community literacy initiatives you would like us to share? 
If you are involved in or know of a literacy initiative that should be shared across the province, we want to know about it! Send us an email or give us a call and we will include the information in an issue of our newsletter. We can be reached at lcnb@nbliteracy.ca or toll free at 1-800-563-2211.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick · 212 Queen St. Suite 303 · Fredericton, NB E3B 1A8 · Canada

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