National Literacy Secretariat - Project Funding 2002-2003 (Manitoba)
(01.04/02 - 31.07/02)
Ms. Barbara Thomasson
BOOKMATES INC.
c/o St. John's Library
500 Salter Street
Winnipeg,MANITOBA
R2W4M5
Tel. (204) 582-1804
B.O.O.K. Building On Our Knowledge
Bookmates Inc. will build on the knowledge of people connecting with families by providing information, mentorship and training to parent-child program initiatives. The Building On Our Knowledge project builds on community expertise and on Bookmates' profile and capacity to make community connections and strengthen family literacy in Manitoba. This will be done through family literacy support services such as presentations and the expansion of a database, and offering family literacy training in Bookmates Rock & Read, Literacy and Parenting Skills (LAPS) program in northern, rural and urban communities. As well, the Play to Learn - Learn to Play Family Literacy Model will be piloted and two-day training workshops will be offered in Winnipeg and Brandon. Bookmates will build on the Rock and Read program by developing a culturally sensitive adaptation of the Rock and Read program. The expected results will be increased awareness of adult literacy needs in family literacy programs throughout the province, an accessible database, the training of 70 family-focused individuals in one of five workshops exclusively delivered by Bookmates, a degree of consistency across the province in regard to standards and a detailed Learn to Play manual. The project will be evaluated through participants' feedback and tracking of requests.
Ms. Viola Fleury
BRANDON INTERAGENCY FOR FAS/FAE COMMITTEE
510 Frederick Street
Brandon,MANITOBA
R7A6Z4
Tel. (204) 729-3838
FAS/FAE Material Development
The Brandon Interagency for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAS/FAE) Committee will develop plain language training materials for learners with FAS/FAE. The project responds to the need for information, curriculum and strategies focused on learners with FAS/FAE. The group will begin by reviewing current practice and literature. Then, through focus group meetings of literacy practitioners, learners and other interested parties in the west region of Manitoba they will develop strategies specific to the needs of learners affected by FAS/FAE. The results of the focus groups will guide the development of plain language training materials for literacy practitioners. An up-to date directory of all relevant FAS/FAE services in the Westman area will be developed and included in the curriculum. A series of Train the Trainer workshops will be offered to the practitioners of the region to present the materials. Outcome: The project will provide easily adaptable education materials relevant to various learning settings by producing a plain language "Training Guide" that will be used by literacy practitioners, family literacy programs, adult learning centres and correctional institute centres. A minimum of twenty Training Material Kits will be produced and distributed throughout the area as well as posted on NALD. The evaluation of the project will be measured by statistical compilations and by needs analysis.
Mrs. Norma Kirkby
CENTRAL MANITOBA LITERACY ASSOCIATION
9 Saskatchewan Avenue West
Box 1222
Portage La Prairie,MANITOBA
R1N3J9
Tel. (204) 857-6322
Family Literacy Workshops Project - "The Gift of Reading"
The Central Manitoba Literacy Association will develop and deliver a series of family literacy workshops. These workshops will provide an opportunity for adults with lower level literacy skills and their preschool children to be involved in a variety of activities designed to improve their literacy skills. The group will run a total of 32 family literacy workshops at the Portage la Prairie Public Library where activities will include a variety of activities focused on developing literacy skills and a lifelong love of books and reading. The parents will be introduced to resources and techniques they can use in their homes to develop good reading and writing skills with their children. The group will also produce a Parent Resource Booklet based on the techniques in the workshops for use by parents in the home. Copies of the booklet will also be distributed to literacy programs and organizations throughout Manitoba. An evaluation form will be developed and used at the workshop. The information will be included in the booklet. A final report will be submitted to the NLS.
Dr. Robin Millar
CENTRE FOR EDUCATION AND WORK
515 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg,MANITOBA
R3B2E9
Tel. (204) 786-9495
Building Research Capacity
The Centre for Education and Work (CEW) will undertake a project to build the research capacity of literacy practitioners in Manitoba. This project builds on previous research conducted by the CEW to determine interest in and ability to conduct literacy research in community-based literacy programs. The project will have two main objectives: 1) the identification of competencies needed to do literacy research, and 2) the communication and dissemination of current research. A Committee consisting of university faculty from the educational research field and community literacy researchers will be formed to identify the competencies needed for the Literacy Researcher. A curriculum chart will be developed which includes the Essential Skills needed for the competent Literacy Researcher. A report on the process and the results will be distributed to all literacy programs in Manitoba. Research leads will be appointed in twenty literacy programs to link the CEW research staff to disseminate research information on a local level. The CEW will produce and disseminate six research bulletins and hold research forums. Five researchers will be recruited from community-based programs to learn about research. A combination of feedback from the Research leads, the Research Forums, and Project Steering Committee will provide the evaluation.
Miss Annette Skavinsky
CHILDREN'S DEN INC.
535 Park Street
Brandon,MANITOBA
R7A6M6
Tel. (204) 729-8175
Family Literacy Program
Children's Den Inc. will establish a family literacy program for parents of children who utilize the day care or are enrolled in kindergarten at King George School in Brandon. The program will run for two, six-week sessions with families meeting once a week. The objectives of the project are to provide information about age appropriate books, teach parents book reading techniques, facilitate discussion about parenting issues and provide a book lending library to bring books into the home. The components of the family literacy program will be an information time for parents with a mix of speakers with discussions and video presentations. The project will also result in a piloted family literacy model and a family literacy resource collection. The success of the project will be evaluated through participant questionnaires, staff evaluations, attendance records and the record of books borrowed from the lending library.
Mrs. Nadine Fort
FAMILY HOME LITERACY PROGRAM ADVISORY COUNCIL
702-14th Street
Brandon,MANITOBA
R8A4V3
Tel. (204) 725-2918
Family Home Literacy Program - Phase 2
The Family Home Literacy Program Advisory Council at the Betty Gibson School will build on the success of Phase 1 of the Family Home Literacy Program with Phase 2 of the project. The group will recruit eight to ten hard to reach families in Brandon to participate in the program. The family literacy activities are designed to build connections between hard to reach families and positive literacy experiences in the home and community and promote reading as an enjoyable and important activity in the home. This will be done through weekly literacy activities at the school; home visits by the Program Coordinator, and the creation of a family reading photo album. Also, the program will promote to parents the use of existing literacy centres and organizations such as the Public Library, Elspeth Reid Family Resource Centre, the Brandon Literacy Council and the Samaritan House Training Centre. There will be formal and informal evaluation from the participants.
Ms. Marion Terry
FAMILY LITERACY EVENTS COMMITTEE
270-18th Street
Brandon,MANITOBA
R7A6A9
Tel. (204) 727-7443
Connections
The Brandon Family Literacy Events Committee (FLEC) will coordinate a project involving the development of a practitioner training course entitled, "Adult Learning: From Theory to Practice." A team of five adult literacy stakeholders will work collaboratively within an online forum to develop the framework for the course. The researchers will conduct a formal study regarding the process of curriculum deliberation in an online environment. A report regarding the "best practices" and "lessons learned" in developing curriculum will be published at NALD for the Canadian adult literacy field. Once developed, the course will be piloted and evaluated within the Manitoba literacy community, after the wider Canadian literacy community will have access to it. Both an online and PDF version of the course will be available at the site, along with a marking guide for program coordinators. Participants taking the online/correspondence course will be asked to evaluate the course upon completion.
Ms. Arlene Francis
GORDON HOWARD SENIORS' CENTRE
384 Eveline Street
Selkirk,MANITOBA
R1A1N3
Tel. (204) 785-2092
Interlake Regional Learning Network
The Gordon Howard Seniors' Centre (GHSC) will work in the Interlake Region to support adult literacy programs, increase public awareness of literacy, build community partnerships and extend literacy service to new populations. The GHSC will take the first steps to promote the Certified Literate Community (CLC) Model throughout the community as a strategy for remedying long-standing literacy problems and work to find suitable partners in the community willing to undertake the Certification of the CLC pilot in the Interlake. The activities include; outreach to promote adult literacy, a day-long leadership and personal development Interlake Learners' Symposium for learners and practitioners, four events as part of a learner's exchange program that will give learners in one program an opportunity to visit another community, and a family literacy forum to lay the foundation for an association of family literacy and child care workers. As well, to promote the CLC model an Interlake Regional Literacy Resource Kit containing fact sheets and statistics will be developed and distributed. The GHSC will also seek and formalize connections with community groups, organizations and individuals in Interlake towns in order to promote the CLC model through presentations to service clubs, councils and school boards. Evaluations of the various activities will be completed that include reports, surveys of participants and evaluation of materials by the respective audiences.
Mr. David Smith
INTERLAKE ADULT LEARNING ASSOCIATION INC.
17111 Arnes Road Box 128
Arnes,MANITOBA
R0C0C0
Tel. (204) 642-5759
Independent Learning Activities for Adult Learners at Foundation and Stage One Learning Levels
The Interlake Adult Learning Association will produce a variety of independent learning materials for use by adult learners. The need for independent learning activities for use by adult literacy learners at the foundation and stage one learning levels has been identified by literacy practitioners in Manitoba. Learners can use these materials to practice skills they have already been taught, either in the classroom or in the home. Each learning activity will have instructions for both the practitioner and the learner. The learner's instructions will be recorded on audiocassette. The result will be a collection of learning materials for use by adult stage one learners. The project will be evaluated through feedback from Manitoba adult literacy practitioners and by participants.
Mrs. Marion Boucher
LIFELONG EDUCATION FOR ADULTS: READING AND NUMERACY
10 Birch Bay Box 91
Roblin,MANITOBA
R0L1P0
Tel. (204) 937-4646
L.E.A.R.N. Time For Me Family Literacy Pilot Project Phase II
Lifelong Education For Adults: Reading and Numeracy (L.E.A.R.N.) will improve and establish Family Literacy programs in Robin, Russell and St. Lazare. The main objectives are to encourage and equip parents to incorporate literacy activities into their everyday living and to help them become more aware of their own literacy needs. They will run two six-week sessions in each location consisting of two-hour weekly meetings. This project builds on the successful Family Literacy phase 1 proposal. The parents will operate a book-lending library and a parent-resource library. The project will target at-risk families. The outcome of this project will be the establishment of family literacy programs in four rural communities. Parents will fill out evaluation sheets at the end of each series of classes.
Ms. Sylvia Provenski
LITERACY PARTNERS OF MANITOBA
167 Lombard Avenue Suite 998
Winnipeg,MANITOBA
R3B0V3
Tel. (204) 957-5757
"Marketing our Message"
Literacy Partners of Manitoba will research and target customized communications strategies for nine literacy-centred events to reframe the public's perception of "literacy", increase public awareness of literacy in Manitoba, and promote the unique benefits of community-based adult literacy programs. Examples of the nine events include International Literacy Day, Literacy Action Day, Literacy Conference in the fall, Family Literacy Day and a salute to literacy volunteers. The coalition will produce news releases, public service announcements, an updated media list and other material. The coalition will track patterns in the media's and public responses to these nine events, and then identify and publish the specific contacts for maximized impact. The expected results are to increase the referrals of adult learners to literacy programs in Manitoba. The evaluation will include phone surveys, focus groups at the AGM and documentation of inquiries.
Mr. Bill Baron
LITERACYWORKS, INC.
500 Portage Avenue Suite 230
Winnipeg,MANITOBA
R3C3X1
Tel. (204) 786-1212
Strategies For Success
LiteracyWorks Inc. will research and develop a sustainable model for new literacy programming that focuses on adults with learning disabilities, specifically suited to Manitoba. LiteracyWorks will work in partnership with the Learning Disabilities Association of Manitoba and Literacy Partners of Manitoba. The objectives of the project are: 1) to conduct research into the need for new literacy programming in Manitoba specifically targeting adults and youth with learning disabilities, 2) to develop a recommended model for a new learning disabilities literacy program based on the research, 3) to deliver specialized training 4) and, to plan for a second phase of the project that will pilot and refine the model for future implementation. The results of the project will be the development of a program model, and 10 participants will be trained at the workshop for the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada "Screening for Success" screening tool. An evaluation methodology and report will be included in the final report to the NLS.
Ms. Josie Hill
MA MAWI WI CHI ITATA CENTRE INC.
94 Mc Gregor Street
Winnipeg,MANITOBA
R2W4V5
Tel. (204) 925-0502
We Learn From Each Other
The Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre will undertake a project entitled We Learn From One Another. This community-based project will look at ways to involve low income, hard to reach Aboriginal women and men with high literacy needs. The pilot project will develop hands on activities and practical resources, which are culturally sensitive, strength based and focussed on addressing the literacy needs of at risk youth and adults. With input and involvement from participants, Ma Mawi will create opportunities to increase learners' confidence and readiness to take the next steps in pursuing learning opportunities. A literacy trainer will facilitate the sharing/learning circles and activities with participants. A series of workshops will be held to help build the internal capacity of staff and community helpers to better respond to meeting the literacy needs of participants. A literacy resource guide will be produced which will include culturally familiar activities, lessons and approaches to helping learners in their process of skills development and incorporate important training guidelines and tools for teachers. The evaluation will focus on both qualitative and quantitative information as assess the effectiveness of the project through such things as participation levels and feedback.
Mrs. Margaret de Kock
NORTHERN COALITION OF LITERACY SERVICES
P.O. Box 714
Thompson,MANITOBA
R8N1N5
Tel. (204) 677-2872
Northern Outreach
The Northern Coalition of Literacy Services will create greater awareness of the concept of the Certified Literacy Community, identify aboriginal learners for an Aboriginal Advisory Committee and offer learners and practitioners a chance to enjoy a creative development workshop. The group will plan and develop promotion and events in the northern region for Family Literacy Day and International Literacy Day and produce promotional materials for the events. Also, they will plan and present a series of three workshops to adult learners who are scattered in isolated northern communities. As part of an integrated and coordinated series of presentations in other parts of the province, the Northern Coalition will promote the concept of "Certified Literate Community" and will research and identify potential community champions and supporters. The group will participate in the establishment of an Aboriginal Advisory Committee for literacy in Manitoba. The project will result in participation in literacy-related events by families, adult learners, community members and businesses, a successful workshop which enhances the skills and creative development of learners and practitioners, and a favourable response to the concept of the Certified Literate Community and the desirability of a coordinated approach to literacy and adult learning within the community. The activities will be evaluated by participants and a final report will be submitted to the NLS.
Mrs. Pam Favel
PEGUIS FIRST NATION TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT
Box 609
Peguis,MANITOBA
R0C3J0
Tel. (204) 645-3405
Peguis Adult Learners Pilot Project
Peguis First Nation Training and Employment will undertake a pilot project targeting First Nations people living in the community of Peguis First nation. The project will research and identify the literacy needs of youth and adults in the community. The project coordinator will assess barriers faced by youth and adult learners, and work with other literacy partners to reduce the barriers. The coordinator will develop partnerships to implement a community literacy program and recruit a community committee to provide ongoing support to the program. The objectives are: to implement literacy programs in the Peguis First Nation community, encourage adult learners to learn to read and develop partnerships to keep this program going. The project will make the Peguis First Nation more aware of literacy needs in their community, identify and train volunteers/tutors and adult learners and put in place a community committee to support the literacy program in the community. It includes both a quantitative and qualitative evaluation plan.
Mrs. Genella Macintyre
SHILO MILITARY FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE
Building T-100
Shilo,MANITOBA
R0K2A0
Tel. (204) 765-3000
Family Literacy Foundational Training
The Shilo Military Family Resource Centre in partnership with the Saskatchewan Literacy Network will offer a family literacy foundational training through a joint Manitoba- Saskatchewan Family Literacy Summer Institute. The "Foundational Training Manual for Family Literacy Practitioners" was spearheaded by the Centre for Family Literacy in Alberta. The project objectives are: 1) to provide Foundational Training to twenty four participants (12 from Saskatchewan and 12 from Manitoba), 2) to move family literacy training within both provinces to a more standardized and professional system, 3) to adapt Foundational training to meet regional needs, 4) to implement and evaluate the training on a pilot basis. The Foundational Training will be adapted to meet regional needs in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. As an outcome, twenty-four family literacy practitioners will be trained in foundational training. A multi-level evaluation framework has been designed and is integral to the action plan.
Ms. Dolores Braun
SOUTHEAST AREA LANGUAGE AND LITERACY SERVICES FOR ADULTS
Box 255
Gruntha,MANITOBA
R0A0R0
Tel. (204) 434-6548
Community Literacy Support Committees
The Southeast Area Language and Literacy Services for Adults (SALLSA) will assess and promote literacy within the rural communities of southeast area of Manitoba. They will develop three Community Literacy Support Committees. The Committee organizers will undertake a local needs assessment and recruit volunteers. They will assist with the identification of local needs, provide local promotion and publicity for literacy programs, recruit volunteers and learners, and improve access to literacy programs. Also, they will be involved in larger general literacy promotional campaigns and events with the SALLSA such as International Literacy Day, Family Literacy Day and Canada Book Day. The result of the formation of Community Literacy Support Committees will be that more local community members will be involved in improving the literacy skills in their communities. A final report will be submitted to the NLS and committee members will complete an evaluation of the project.
Mrs. Louise Perry
THE PAS FRIENDSHIP CENTRE INC.
81 Edwards Avenue P.O. Box 2638
The Pas,MANITOBA
R9A1M3
Tel. (204) 623-6459
Closing the Gap: Developing Aboriginal Leadership Linkages in Literacy
The PAS Friendship Centre, with the help of Literacy Partners of Manitoba will develop partnerships with Aboriginal leaders and First Nations Educational Authorities in Manitoba. The need for more aboriginal involvement in literacy issues and the need for more link between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal programs have been clearly identified in recent years. This team will explore ways to create a more cohesive system of literacy and adult education programs for Metis and First Nations people on reserves or in Friendship Centres. The group will begin by documenting existing partnerships/lessons learned and will explore the interest of setting up an advisory/elder leadership committee. They will make recommendations and an action plan for future direction. The group will seek eight to ten Aboriginal Champions who can bring their perspective on literacy issues and help increase aboriginal participation in literacy programs in Manitoba. Success will be measured by the number of people who agree to sit on the leadership team, the contacts with First Nations communities and the number of Aboriginal learner-speakers trained for presentations.
Mr. Craig Sharpe
THOMPSON BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB INC.
235 Cree Road Box 484
Thompson,MANITOBA
R8N1N2
Tel. (204) 778-7575
Youth at Risk Literacy Study Phase II
Thompson Boys and Girls Club Inc. will work with youth at risk from 16 to 26 who are mostly aboriginal and have less than a grade 10 education, to adapt and test computerized learning material to meet the literacy needs of northern urban aboriginal communities. The research in Phase 1 has identified the difficulty in getting youth to participate in formal learning settings. Phase 2 will meet the needs of many of the young people in allowing them to be part of the development of tools that meet their personal literacy needs and the communities literacy programs. The project will result in a set of computer assisted learning programs appropriate for the target group. Copies of the programs will be made available for copying to youth programs and literacy groups. An evaluation will be done that measures the amount of material developed, the effectiveness of the material and the satisfaction of the youth involved.
Ms. Kim Akins
WEST REGION COALITION FOR LITERACY
1610 Pacific Avenue Box 20173
Brandon,MANITOBA
R7A7L9
Tel. (204) 727-6017
Advocating for the West Region
The West Region Coalition for Literacy will undertake a project focusing on outreach and promotion of literacy issues targeted at both the practitioners and learners in the region. The proposed activities will include: 1) to plan and present a workshop to practitioners and other interested parties in the region on the subject of "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects - Learning Disabilities and the Adult Learner"; 2) to promote the Certified Literacy Community concept to various partners in the west region by adding information to the website and developing a brochure; 3) to organize events for International Literacy Day and Family Literacy Day. Also, the group will plan and present a two-day conference for learners of the west region for leadership development and networking. Some of the outcomes of the project will be increased public awareness, the creation of family literacy promotional packages and increased use of First Class server in the region. The evaluation of the project will be an integral component of the final report.
e-Lit and e-Learning
The West Region Coalition for Literacy will carry out a project aimed at making the most of electronic conferencing in Manitoba. The objectives of the project are: 1) to develop and build community connections among the literacy communities in Manitoba; 2) to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information; 3) to provide professional development opportunities to literacy practitioners and working group members; and 4) to increase the technological skills of literacy practitioners as they relate to e-learning. To achieve this, some of the proposed activities are: to launch the eLit name of the online community and reach out to new users, develop and maintain discussion folders for practitioners, design and deliver a professional online workshop. The project will result in increased use of the FirstClass Conferencing system, increased connections among practitioners, and increased technological skills for practitioners and learners. A variety of evaluation tools will be used and a final report will be submitted to the NLS.
(01.08/02 - 30.11/02)
Mr. George Bell
BRANDON LITERACY COUNCIL INC.
138 Madison Crescent
Brandon, MANITOBA
R7A 2H1
Tel. (204) 729-9964
Youth with Promise: Examining the Issues and Finding Solutions
The Brandon Literacy Council (BLC) in partnership the Manitoba Metis Council will research with youth the "ideal learning environment" for youth at risk. Through the BLC literacy program for youth who are out of school, youth will explore the factors that have prevented them from succeeding in the education system and gain an understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. Through language, arts, writing assignments, dialogue, journals, sharing circles and group discussions, youth will be empowered to become effective, positive self advocates by their direct involvement in their learning plans. As an outcome of this project, a report on "an ideal learning environment" will be drafted by the youth and made available to other youth programs. An evaluation plan has been developed and will be reported to the National Literacy Secretariat.
Mr. Ilija Dragojevic
PEMBINA VALLEY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
P.O. Box 1180
Altona, MANITOBA
R0G 0B0
Tel. (204) 324-8641
Producing Reading Materials for Stage 1 Learners
The Pembina Valley Learning Centre (PVLC) will develop age and culturally appropriate reading material for beginning adult literacy learners. The PVLC will publish and distribute copies of five storybooks at Manitoba stage 1 level and provide reproducible suggested activity pages to accompany the books. This project will address the need for literacy materials for mid to upper stage I learners. Five illustrated storybooks based largely on the rural themes of the Kanadier (Mennonite people from Mexico or South America). An accompanying package of activities for program delivery will be produced. The material will be tested with stage I learners. Copies of the final material will be distributed to all Manitoba adult literacy programs as well as local libraries. After distribution of the books the group will gather feedback from learners and practitioners and a final report will be sent to the NLS.
Mona Audet
PLURI - ELLES (MANITOBA) INC.
570 Des Meurons Street
Saint-Boniface, MANITOBA
R2H 2P8
Tel. (204) 233-1735
Amélioration de la coordination et du partage d'informations [Improved information coordination and sharing]
Pluri-Elles (Manitoba) will improve the coordination and sharing of information on literacy among Franco Manitoban communities and will raise the awareness of these communities of the importance of literacy training in French. With financial assistance from Canadian Heritage through the Interdepartmental Partnership with Official Language Communities (IPOLC), Pluri Elles will meet the following project objectives: (1) improve coordination of literacy services in French in Franco Manitoban communities; (2) inform the public about literacy; (3) serve as many Francophone communities as possible; and (4) make the public aware of literacy training needs in Francophone and Métis communities. To achieve its objectives, Pluri Elles will carry out the following activities: establish a network of coordinators and develop a regional action plan, organize a training workshop, produce and distribute information bulletins, and recruit trainers. The expected outcome is improved coordination of literacy services and the recruitment and training of five coordinators, trainers and volunteers. Coordinators, trainers and learners will evaluate each stage of the implementation of the literacy program.
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