Aboriginal Adult Literacy Institute and Conference

The National Indigenous Literacy Association (NILA) is hosting the Aboriginal Adult Literacy Institute & Conference during the week of April 13, 2009 through to April 17, 2009. The tuition cost is $850.00.

To register before April 6, 2009 contact:
Serena Hickes
Tel: (204) 927-1920
Fax: (204) 927-1922
Email: shickes@nila.ca

Update from VCC Fundamental Programs

The Basic Education Department is the Adult Literacy Fundamental Level program at Vancouver Community College. We offer both group-based and self-paced continuous intake math and English classes at our two main campuses, and also have well-established adult learning centres at First United Mission in the Downtown Eastside and at Vancouver Public Library’s Downtown Branch. In addition, we are in our second year working with our community partner, the Salvation Army, in offering a self-paced English and Math class at Harbour Light which is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in the Downtown Eastside. Here are a few other activities we have been involved in this year:

  • We have worked on community literacy planning task forces for Mount Pleasant and Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhoods, and we’re looking forward to contributing to the process in the Marpole neighbourhood.
  • We continued our participation in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) Roundtable, a gathering of people from groups that offer literacy related instruction or support in the inner city.
  • Basic Education’s class in the First United Mission, which is located in the DTES, has been in operation since 1980 and, we are proud to report, received the 2008 Program Excellence Award from the Association of Canadian Community Colleges in the spring. Linda Rider, who has taught the First United class for many years, was on hand to accept the award on the Department’s behalf at the ACCC conference in Prince George and also gave a well-received presentation about the First United and our long history with its community of learners.
  • The Vancouver Sun visited our Department this September and featured one of our classes in its first article in the Raise-A-Reader Series.
  • In late August, our assessment person, Laurie Gould travelled to Toronto to represent VCC on the advisory board of a federally funded reading assessment project. Our department will be one of the field testing sites for this new assessment toolkit.
  • Our students and instructors enjoyed several stimulating performances/workshops by Vancouver poet, Barbara Adler.