Adult Learner Involvement
An Opportunity to Get Involved in Newfoundland and Labrador

At the meetings of the Movement for Canadian Literacy (MCL) in Ottawa in February, one day was set aside for addressing issues of adult learner involvement. This workshop was facilitated by two people from Manitoba.

As part of the workshop, the representatives from each province had time to sit and talk about what might be a priority for learner involvement in their particular province. Newfoundland and Labrador had chosen the same topic and decided to work together. The following suggestions were made as a result of this workshop.

Issue: Adult Learner Support/Mentoring System

Description of issue:

Build a network encouraging adult learners to come to the forefront, to become involved in their communities, to foster leadership, and to promote better educated and healthier communities

Getting a Support System in Place:

Needs assessment, Funding, Proposal, Implementation/ Evaluation, Inter-Provincial Networking.

How do we foster an Adult Learner Support/Mentoring System in this Province?

Cec Godwin, the MCL student representative in this province has agreed to head this initiative. Cec is very interested in making contact with learners throughout the province in an effort to build adult learner involvement. If you are interested in working with Cec and learning more about how learners can be brought to the forefront, please contact the Literacy Development Council at 1-800-563-1111.

A Brief History of Learner Involvement in Manitoba

A. Governance

Manitoba's adult and family literacy programs are not centralized through the community colleges, but offered in a variety of community partnership settings such as friendship centres, workplaces, employment training networks, community recreation centres, store front operations and libraries. This model was adopted after the ratification of a provincial steering committee in 1989 produced a document called Pathways for the Learner.

Before the province funds a program, a needs assessment must be completed. A cross-section of potential learners are consulted for their feedback.

Then, each program must form an advisory and governing consortium to a Literacy Working Group. Learners are often selected, elected or appointed to this governing body. There are 35 LWGs in Manitoba this year.

There are another 30 programs that do not fall under these provincial guidelines (e.g. Beat the Street, Taking Charge, some friendship centre operations, commercial outlets). They may or may not involve learners.

B. Learner Conferences

Learner conferences began as early as 1985 driven by the largest adult literacy centre in Winnipeg, Journeys Adult Education Centre. Learners gathered to talk about issues such as budgeting, child care problems, career planning, and more.

In spring 1987, a National Literacy Secretariat (NLS) grant underwrote a project where The Popular Theatre Alliance of Manitoba organized a provincial adult learner conference for 200 participants. Learners were guided through popular education methods to develop communication skills and strategies to practice problem solving.

This conference and the subsequent year's learner conference was also documented on video in 1989. The video was used to promote literacy awareness in International Literacy Year 1990 and learner conference development.

In 1990, Journeys, Literacy Partners of Manitoba, and Red River Community College worked together to develop a three day Learner and Practitioner Conference in June. Activities included displays, banners from each program, presentations and workshops. A pre-conference needs assessment survey and community consultations drove the conference program content.

Learner and practitioner conferences have continued each year since 1990. Regional conferences have run since 1994, allowing greater learner access and involvement at the rural level. Regional coordinators work with advisory committees to mount these spring day and a half gatherings. Learners often act as workshop presenters in areas of their own expertise (tying fly fish lures, cake decorating, crafts, etc.) with intensive support from the regional coordinators or program instructors. We want to build a community of learner leaders.