ABOUT

Poster reading “Connecting Literacy to Community” with the subtitle “Building Community Capacity: Focus on Adult Literacy.”

I began working in adult literacy education in 2001 in a community development project with Bow Valley College (BVC) in Calgary. As a Literacy Specialist I worked with local organizations to help them reduce literacy barriers to their programs and services. This project led to the implementation of province-wide Literacy Specialist training for adult literacy practitioners in Alberta’s Foundational Learning sector.

In 2006 I began teaching in the BVC literacy programs. The instructors were wise practitioners, and I would like to introduce you one of them, Enerys Jones. Enerys taught the Lifeline to Literacy class for many years. She showed me how to correspond with students to build writing and reading skills. I learned how to make curriculum from field trips to the theatre, art galleries and community events.

“Begin each class with corresponding journals
Take the time to read out loud
Art always helps”

Thank you Enerys

After Enerys retired I taught the Lifeline to Literacy class for a number of years. In 2013 the students wanted to create a website to share their knowledge, writing and art. With funding from Calgary Learns and the help of blog developer and educator, Lisa Fajardo the students planned and designed the ‘Nations Learning Together’ blog. Then students in other literacy and upgrading programs at BVC began to post their work.

Poster reading “Nations Learning Together: An Art and Adult Literacy Project” with the website nationslearningtogether.blogspot.ca on a rainbow background.
Audrey holding a child, marching at a community event with banners in the background.

In the early 1990’s I was a junior high school teacher. Then I moved to community education at AIDS Calgary and the Calgary Sexual Health Centre. Working in HIV+ and pro-choice organizations laid the foundation for my professional practice. Although we may not have used the term ‘trauma-informed’ as it is used today, I have applied this care-based approach to my work in Adult Basic Education.



Forthright means…

To use care when communicating with each other. It means trying to be clear in how you are speaking and how you are listening. To me it means being respectful.

I grew up on the east coast of Scotland and my father was a fisherman. His boat was called Forthright, a fitting name for sailing into the cold North Sea.

An older adult sitting at a table and using a laptop, with a framed photo of a boat on the wall behind them.

What does Forthright mean to you?