• a new book called Heads and Tails. A collection of local stories and past events written and designed by learners.
  
  
• an upcoming regional conference designed to enable learners, literacy workers, and providers to share ideas and plan future literacy developments.
  
  
• a career exploration program through the Charlottetown Circle of Learning. The 12 learners taking part in this project will help to develop a model for people living in small communities who want to look at personal interests and skills and explore the current labour market.
  
  
• successful children's reading circles in each of the communities. Run by dedicated volunteers who understand the value of reading, these reading circles introduce children to the joy of reading at an early age. The older children and parents learn many new things too.
  
  
• locally requested workshops at the Port Hope Simpson Learning Centre. These are offered often, and residents are encouraged to make suggestions for future training.

Contact: Roxanne Notley at telephone 9600430 or fax 960-0425.

In Central Labrador you will find the communities of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Mud Lake, North West River, and Sheshashit. In North West River, the College of the North Atlantic is running an English as a Second Language program.

The Lake Melville Literacy Council in Happy Valley has just finished a successful year of Books for Babies. Donations for this project came from a number of groups in the central region. This year, the Council received funding from the National Literacy Secretariat to develop a reading circles video and training materials. Part of this project will also include creating a network of people who are involved in reading circles. Workshops are taking place with groups such as the Aboriginal Head Start Program.

Contact: Martha MacDonald at telephone 896-8219 or fax 896-2970.

Other recent literacy activities in Labrador included...

• new reading circles in Cartwright.
  
  
• a 20-week distance management training program for community-based groups.
  
  
• English as a Second Language in Davis Inlet.
  
  
• plans for resources and workshops in Rigolet and Hopedale on the North Coast in the areas of reading circles, oral history, tutoring, and management training.
  
  
• support to the community of Black Tickle for the development of community-based literacy activities.
  
  Labrador Metis Association's Youth Service Canada Project involving 12 young people in literacy activities throughout southeast Labrador and the Labrador Straits.

We'll finish our journey with the Labrador Literacy Information and Action Network (LLIAN). The LLIAN grew out of the Labrador Literacy Conference in 1995. At that time, people were looking for a way to share information and work together. Now the LLIAN ties our literacy work together by linking the growing literacy community across Labrador. LLLAN is a collaborative forum for sharing information, ideas, resources, training, planning, and evaluation. Our aim is to enhance the ability of Labradorians to think, create, question, and participate.

The LLIAN's work is based on these values:

• Everyone has a right to learn.
• Learning is a lifelong process.
• Learning can take place anywhere.
• Learning should be an equal partnership. It builds on the strengths of individuals and communities.
• Everyone has something to contribute.
• Collaboration makes us stronger and more effective.

In partnership with Frontier College, the LLIAN sends books to reading circles in Labrador communities.

Recently, CBC Radio, in partnership with the LLIAN, invited Labrador residents to write and send in their first page of The Great Labrador Novel. Many of these were read on the radio and a panel of judges picked the winners. The Great Labrador Novel was published by the LLIAN this past summer and distributed to schools, colleges, libraries, and literacy groups. Currently, CBC and the LLlAN are sponsoring a second writing competition called Christmas Memories.

Contact: Janet Skinner at telephone 8962978 or fax 896-2970.