The Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick is holding their annual Adult Learner’s Writing Contest!

The theme is “Learning Changes Lives”. Adult learners are invited to share their stories about why they returned to learning, how learning has changed their life or will change their life, and what their future goals may be. The stories will be featured on our social media during Adult Learner’s week and in an ebook which will be available on our website. The winner will have the opportunity to read their submission and receive a framed certificate as well as a $100 prize at the 2023 LCNB Literacy Dinner and Auction.

Your story should be around 500 to 600 words. It should include:

• why you returned to learning
• how learning is changing your life or has changed your life
• your goals for the future
• your name and contacts (phone number, email and mailing address)
• name of your Learning Program
• your teacher’s name and contacts: (email and phone)

All learners who submit an essay will have their name entered into a draw for an iPad mini!

The deadline for submissions is March 31st at 5:00 pm. Essays should be submitted by email to administration@nbliteracy.ca

To  view the essays from last year’s contest, click here.

If you have any questions, please contact Lynda Homer, Executive Director, LCNB at: 506-457-1227 or via email at: lcnb@nbliteracy.ca

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La Coalition pour l’alphabétisation du Nouveau-Brunswick organise son concours annuel d’écriture pour apprenants adultes!

Le thème est « L’apprentissage change des vies ». Les apprenants adultes sont invités à partager leurs histoires sur la raison pour laquelle ils ont fait un retour aux études, comment l’apprentissage a changé leur vie ou est en train de changer leur vie et leurs objectifs futurs. Les soumissions seront présentées sur nos médias sociaux pendant la semaine des apprenants adultes et dans un ebook qui sera disponible sur notre site Web. Le gagnant aura l’occasion de présenter sa soumission et recevra un certificat ainsi qu’un prix de 100$ au dîner de l’alphabétisation LCNB 2023.

La soumission doit être d’environ 500 à 600 mots. Il doit inclure:

• pourquoi vous êtes retourné aux études
• comment l’apprentissage a changé votre vie ou est en train de changer votre vie
• vos objectifs futurs
• votre nom et vos coordonnées (numéro de téléphone, courriel et adresse postale)
• le nom de votre programme d’apprentissage
• le nom et les coordonnées de votre enseignant: (courriel et téléphone)

Chaque apprenant qui participe sera inscrit à un tirage d’un iPad mini!

La date limite pour les soumissions est le 31 mars 2022 à 17h00. S’il vous plaît envoyez votre soumission à administration@nbliteracy.ca

Pour voir les soumissions gagnantes de l’année dernière, cliquez ici.

Si vous avez des questions, veuillez contacter Lynda Homer, Directrice générale, LCNB au 506-457-1227 ou par courrier électronique au lcnb@nbliteracy.ca

Adult Literacy Week is an occasion to acknowledge the triumphs of New Brunswick adult learners and to celebrate the importance of life-long learning in our lives.

This year, Adult Literacy Week will be from April 16th to April 22nd! During that time, LCNB will be publishing our ebook of submissions from our Adult Learner’s Writing Contest. We will be opening submissions for the contest soon, so keep an eye on our website and social media for that announcement!

Click here to see our Writing Contest Submissions ebook from 2022!

Did you know that parents’ reading habits play an important role for kids? According to the Kids and Family Reading Report from Scholastic in 2017, 57% of kids who are frequent readers have parents who read books 5-7 days per week.

Family literacy focuses on parents, grandparents, and other family members to improve the reading and writing skills of the whole family (via ABC Life Literacy).

Family Literacy Day is on Friday, January 27th. The theme this year is Celebrate Your Heritage. Canada is a great diverse country full of different cultures. Take time to explore and learn about your heritage, celebrate what you’ve found, and share your culture with others. There’s no better way to learn about your family than together as a family!

One of the best things you can do is speak to a family member about their upbringing. The Literacy Coalition has created a list of questions to help you interview a family member.

Download the interview questions sheet here!

Check out these fantastic resources and activities from ABC Life Literacy:

Barbara Reid Tip Sheet – 10 things to do

Activity Book – 7 fun activities for the whole family

Bookmarks – interview your family and record what you’ve learned on these bookmarks

Our Essential Employability Skills – Health Sector (EES-HS) project has officially concluded. With the end of this pan-Atlantic project, we are excited to release the final report and evaluation.

Following the huge success of our Essential Skills for Atlantic Fisheries (ESAF) project, the Literacy Coalition piloted the Essential Employability Skills – Health Sector (EES-HS) project using the innovative ESAF model.

Led by the Literacy Coalition in partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador Laubach Literacy Council and  PEI Literacy Alliance, the project prepared unemployed and underemployed participants for in-demand, entry-level positions in the health sector workforce. The goal was to train participants and bring them into entry level worker positions in the health care sector such as laundry, cleaners, servers, kitchen staff, etc.

A website for ESAF and EES-HS has been created. Click here to access it: www.essentialskillsatlantic.ca

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Le projet pilote Compétences essentielles d’employabilité dans le secteur de la santé (CEE-SS) était une initiative de collaboration et d’équipe à l’échelle de l’Atlantique. Le projet novateur CEE-SS a permis de fournir une formation ciblée à des participants sans emploi ou en situation de sous-emploi pour des postes de premier échelon en demande dans le secteur de la santé. Le projet CEE-SS combine des compétences spécialisées et générales pour préparer les participants à combler d’importantes lacunes en matière de main-d’oeuvre.

Le besoin élevé de travailleurs essentiels dans le secteur des soins de santé et dans de nombreux foyers de soins et d’établissements avec assistance est largement reconnu, et de nombreux employeurs ont de la difficulté à combler les postes vacants. La demande de services de soins de santé devrait bientôt dépasser l’offre de ressources humaines. Dans le cadre du projet CEE-SS, on a adopté une approche holistique, en formant à la fois les participants au projet et les gestionnaires du personnel des lieux de travail participants au Nouveau-Brunswick, à Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador et à l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard.

Le projet CEE-SS a été financé par l’Initiative nationale sur les compétences essentielles (INCE) du gouvernement du Canada, et dirigé par la Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick en partenariat, PEI Literacy Alliance et la Newfoundland and Labrador Laubach Literacy Council.

Un site Web pour Compétences essentielles pour les pêches de l’Atlantique (CEPA) et CEES-SS a été créé : https://www.essentialskillsatlantic.ca/fr/

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Click on the links below to read the reports:

• Essential Employability Skills – Health Sector: Final Report
• Compétences essentielles d’employabilité – secteur de la santé (CEE-SS) – Rapport final

• Essential Employability Skills – Health Sector: Best Practices
• Compétences essentielles d’employabilité – secteur de la santé (CEE-SS) – Les meilleures pratiques

• EES-HS Evaluation Report
• CEE-SS rapport d’évaluation définitif

A video of powerful testimonials from the EES-HS participants across the three provinces has been created.

Finally, an infographic in English and French was created for a snapshot view of the entire project.

On October 11^th, The Literacy Coalition held its gala PGI Literacy Dinner and Auction at the Delta Hotel in Fredericton – the first in-person PGI event since 2019. The event raised $38,000 for literacy in New Brunswick.

This year’s recipient of the Champion of Literacy Award was Gaëtan Thomas. While in a lifelong 38-year career at NB Power, Gaëtan has championed learning activities such as a reading program by Point Lepreau employees, the provincial Junior Achievement program, and the “Petits déjeuners de la péninsule acadienne” which ensure that every child gets a breakfast every morning.

The Marian Zaichkowski Award, was presented to Drs. David and Imelda Perley for their outstanding dedication to the promotion of Indigenous literacy and culture. The President’s Award was presented to Delta Hotels by Marriot Fredericton for their exceptional support as host location for our PGI’s and the PGI award went to Gus Mazzuca for his volunteer support and contribution to our PGI events over the years.

As always, a special part of the evening was honouring and hearing from our award-winning adult learners, Afraa Yako, Britny Gould, and Martin Comeau.

“I would like to thank our generous sponsors and all who supported us by purchasing tickets, making donations and attending our gala Dinner and Auction for Literacy. Thanks also to our co-chairs, Bob Scott and Ashley Counsell and the PGI Committee for all of their remarkable efforts in making this year’s event a success,” said LCNB President Brent Melanson.

Lynda Homer, LCNB Executive Director, said ”Since our inaugural Peter Gzowski Dinner and Auction 16 years ago, the Literacy Coalition has raised more than $1.6 million dollars. Funds raised go directly to youth, adult, and family literacy programs around the province.”

While this year may be the final year for the Peter Gzowski name, the Literacy Coalition will
continue to host its major fundraiser for literacy, the Literacy Dinner and Auction, for many
years to come!