I am very pleased to welcome new members to the LNS team! We are thrilled to have such enthusiastic people with us, even if it is for a short time. Emma Campbell, a NSCC student, completed her 5 week work experience with us and will be wrapping up on June 4th. Included in this edition of our eNews, she has written an article about returning to learning as a mature student and encourages others to take advantage of these opportunities. We also welcome Shyla Gupta and Samira Dang, summer students hired through the Canada Summer Job Grant, who will be taking on the NSPGI tasks and other promotions. Kate Cober joins us as the Project Coordinator of the LAE funded Empowerment for Employment project. Kate has expanded our organizational capacity to extend our work into the Long Term Care sector. Colin Bawn continues to coordinate our work in the Fisheries sector with the latest LAE funded project, Essential Skills for Nova Scotia Fisheries.

Before we get too deep in these new projects, we want to pause to celebrate the accomplishments of the past year. Our AGM will be held virtually on June 17th at 3:00pm via Zoom. The call for nominations has closed but we still have openings for one learner representative and one representative for the Northern Region. Please send an email to info@literacyns.ca if you are interested and would like more information.

Many of our ongoing activities are winding down now until the fall. The webinar series came to a close on a high note with Allison Parsons’ presentation Supporting Adult Learners with Mental Health Issues. The materials are available on the LNS Resource Hub. Next year’s Webinar Wednesday series, Navigating Challenge and Change, will kick off on October 20th with Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe presenting part 2 of her very popular webinar which she delivered in 2020. There will be eight webinars in the upcoming series. Literacy Nova Scotia thanks the Nova Scotia Department of Labour & Advanced Education for the funding support to make these webinars possible.

If your organization received a 2020 NSSAL Community grant, activity reports must be submitted by June 30th. Applications for 2021/22 NSSAL Community Grants may be submitted now or in the fall. The deadline is September 17th. Eligibility criteria has not changed since last year and receipts for July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 will be eligible although grant approvals will not be available until October.

We are pleased to announce new staff at Literacy Nova Scotia:

Emma Campbell joined LNS for a work placement as a Business Admin student at NSCC. Her placement finishes on June 4th.



Kate Cober has been contracted as the new Project Coordinator of Empowerment for Employment (Long Term Care). She is an experienced Program Manager in the Long Term Care/Continuing Care sector as both a Manager of frontline care and as an Adult Educator.


Samira Dang is joining the LNS team this summer as a Public Relations Coordinator. She is a third-year student at the University of Toronto.



Shyla Gupta has joined LNS this summer to work as the Fundraising Strategy Coordinator. Shyla is a second-year student at Dalhousie University.

Returning to School at an Advanced Age: Emma Campbell wrote this article about going back to school as a mature student after being displaced from the workforce.

The Learning Beacon: Here's an opportunity for adult learners to have their stories published in the next issue which will be online in November 2021. Please encourage your learners to write stories about their hometowns for the Community Map feature. If learners want to submit stories on other subjects, we could have a 'Student Writing' feature. Please email the stories to Marie David by June 30th.

Thank you to all Practitioner Training participants. The next modules will start in the fall on October 11, 2021. Check out the Practitioner Training webpage for details on the program, modules, tuition schedule, and how to register for modules. The schedule of modules for October 2021 – June 2022 is available. Questions? Contact Marie David.
Funding from the Department of Labour and Advanced Education (LAE) ensures free tuition for participants from NSSAL who are LNS members.

NSSAL IT Fund: There are funds available for community-based learning organizations to purchase equipment and resources necessary for the delivery of NSSAL’s Adult Learning Program. Read more information on criteria and application process. The NSSAL IT Fund is funded by Labour and Advanced Education to support the NSSAL system.

NSSAL Community Grants:
2020-21 NSSAL Community Grant Activity and Expense Report
Deadline: June 30, 2021
2021 NSSAL Community Grants Application
Application deadline: Sept 17, 2021 at 4:30pm

Is there a PD opportunity that would benefit your learning organization?
Apply to the NSSAL PD Fund. Online learning opportunities are eligible. A new learning narrative template has been added. The NSSAL PD Fund is funded by Labour and Advanced Education to support the NSSAL system.

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Thursday, June 17th, 2021 at 3:00pm via Zoom
RSVP to info@literacyns.ca by June 11, 2021.
Read more

June 1 - 25, 2021, 1:00 - 3:00pm AT
This elearning series will explore systemic racism, a history of colonization and the legacy of Black Nova Scotians.

• Session 1: Tuesday, June 1st - Decolonization: A Shared History
• Session 2: Tuesday, June 8th - Enslaved Black People: First Landing
• Session 3: Tuesday, June 15th - "Free" Black People
• Session 4: Tuesday, June 22nd - The Legacy of Slavery

Register

June 3, 2021 at 2:00 - 7:00pm AT via Zoom
Paulo Freire has considerably influenced critical pedagogy and adult education and his critical legacy has had profound impact on educational thought and practice worldwide.
Poster    Register

June 9, 2021, 2:00 - 3:00pm AT
Where we live matters, and many of us believe that good people make good places. This webinar explores how people and place are pivotal to community vitality and economic inclusion. Register

June 16, 2021, 8:00am AT
Join us in exploring actions addressing gender-based violence against women and children and building peace in different countries around the world. Poster   Register

June 16, 2021, 2:00 - 3:00pm AT
What efforts are needed to ensure all Canadians are food secure? Enhance your understanding of poverty as an important driver in food insecurity, and learn about solutions needed to enable COVID recovery and increase resiliency. Register

June 17, 2:00 - 3:00pm AT
This webinar will explore the connections between mental, physical, and emotional health, and includes a panel discussion about the various ways health literacy is connected with increased learning, building community, and overall well-being.
Guest panelists:

• Tj Jones, Trans Support NL (Newfoundland and Labrador)
• Kerilynn Hale, Canadian Mental Health Association: Thompson Homeless Shelter (Manitoba)
• Tammy Martin, First Nations Regional Adult Education Center Gesgapegiag (Quebec)

Register

June 23 at 2:00 - 3:00pm AT
How do colonial ways of giving continue to harm and exclude Indigenous peoples? What needs to shift to respectfully engage and build reciprocal relationships with Indigenous peoples when exploring the future of giving and sharing on Turtle Island? Register

June 30 at 1:00 - 2:00pm AT
Explore the principles of issue management and crisis communication, including how to get prepared for and manage the crisis with clarity and confidence. Register

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The Learning Project funds community-based learning activities for children and youth in grades K-12 across Canada. For 2021, $160,000 in total funding is available through the Learning Project. Community organizations can apply for up to $5,000 in their application. Apply by June 11, 2021.  More information

In celebration of National Indigenous History Month, ABC Life Literacy Canada with the help of TD Bank is partnering with a number of Indigenous-serving literacy organizations across Canada to deliver the Money Matters for Indigenous Peoples program. Read more

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LNS Resource Hub is the place for literacy practitioners who teach, tutor or mentor adult learners in Nova Scotia to share and co-develop teaching resources and discuss best practices. This resource is fully funded by Labour and Advanced Education to support the NSSAL system. Recently uploaded resources:

• Webinar: Supporting Adult Learners with Mental Health Issues
• Oceans IV
• Mi'kmaw Studies IV

If you don't already have an account on the LNS Resource Hub, email Elaine Frampton to request an account registration code.

AAAPES is a transition year program that provides support to Indigenous students as they prepare for university. Classes are held at the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre in partnership with MSVU. Read more

Researchers at the University of Alberta invite you to take part in an anonymous online research study for people 18 years or older. The study explores how the pandemic affects socializing. They are interested in your reading history and your social, physical, and emotional health. The survey will take 30 minutes.

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ABC Life Literacy Canada - May 2021
As I Was Saying - May 2021
CALP Connections - May 2021
NWT Literacy Council Newsletter - May 2021
Transforming Lives - May 2021
Village Vibes - June 2021
Volunteer Canada News - May 2021
World Education / U.S. - June 2021