Projects and Services

Literacy Alberta offers a number of services to its members and the public. We have expertise and experience in project management, training, plain language and audits or assessements. Our key role is in providing regional professional development, training and support to literacy practitioners around the province. Literacy audits, partnering on projects, training and advice form the basis of these services.

Our project profile includes Taking Shelter with Literacy, working with Jenny Horsman's Learning and Violence initiative. We are developing an online Essential Skills Resource Guide as part of the Essential Skills and Literacy project. The Workup! project, a model for essential skills training, run in partenership with Alberta Workforce Essential Skills (AWES), will be completed spring 2012. We are also just finishing up the Integrating Foundational Learning project funded by Calgary Learns.

 Contact us to find out how we can help you achieve your project goals. 

Project Management

Our team consists of project managers, coordinators, facilitators and trainers. We have worked on literacy, workplace and essential skills, plain language and community development projects. We coordinate and deliver the New Coordinator Training for literacy practitioners throughout Alberta. If you want us to manage, co-ordinate or contribute to a project, please get in touch and we'll discuss options.

Current projects:

New Coordinator Training - We teamed up with the Community Learning Network to deliver this workshop to 23 candidates in Novembe. This training now includes the Volunteer Tutor Adult Literacy (VTAL) and Community Adult Learning Council (CALC) and Family Literacy coordinators (CFL). Plans are underway for the next offering.

Learning and Violence Project – with Dr. Jenny Horsman -This project is moving into the final phase, with the focus on setting up two pilot sites in colleges or communities to work with the new materials developed specifically for this initiative. Three new Interactive Tools aimed at changing how we learn and/or teach literacy and essential skills are available on the Learning and Violence website.

WorkUp! - In partnership with Alberta Workforce Essential Skills (AWES), we have trained six experienced facilitators to become Workplace Essential Skills (WES) practitioners.  All are currently providing essential skills training to businesses in their home communities.  The businesses include a hotel, a bank, a casino, an employment agency, and a service company to the oil and gas industry. LA and AWES will publish a final report, including a WES Marketing Tool Kit, on their websites after the project ends in the spring 2012.

Integrating Foundational Learning - The Integrating Foundational Learning project, funded by Calgary Learns, has been a great success.  Seven organizations funded byCalgary Learns were trained on how to include literacy and essential skills in their employability and community issues programs.  A final report and the Foundational Learning Checklist will be available on our website.  

Learning and Violence Project  This project is moving into the next phase, with the focus on setting up two pilot sites in colleges or communities to work with the new materials developed specifically for this initiative. Three new Interactive Tools aimed at changing how we learn and/or teach literacy and essential skills are available on the Learning and Violence website. 

Plain Language - We provide plain language audits, writing and editing, training and project management services. We are currently working with Alberta Transportation Safety on a plain language edit of the Driver's Handbook and Calgary Emergency Management Agency on their Household Emergency Action Plan publication. Other training and projects are in the works for a number of organizations. Our 2010-2011 Annual Report theme was plain language - and it was applied to the design and content. 

Calgary Urban Project Society

Our team will be working with CUPS staff to help them enhance their client communications. Literacy, workplace essential skills and plain language audits and training will form a core part of the project. Their website and planned intranet sites will be assessed for usability and access using plain language guidelines. 

Facilities

We also have rooms available to rent, with the latest in video conferencing technology. Whether you need a small meeting room, training space, a board room or want to host a function, contact us for details and availability. 

Online Services

We have online shopping services. You can get publications, products and memberships from this website. The Creating Learning Partners and Effective Marketing and Communications resources are free. others require payment. 

You can also register for or renew your Literacy Alberta membership online. Select from the four categories - Organization, Practitioner, Student or Literacy Tutor and Friends of Literacy to use this simple, time-saving service.

Making donations on the site using our easy online service provided by CanadaHelps.org.