Acknowledgements

As Violence and Learning: Taking Action (VALTA) Project organizers and co-facilitators, we wish to thank the people and organizations that supported the Project in a variety of ways.

Ann Mortifee gave permission to reprint her song, Spirit Calling.

Ann Thomas, Brenda Squair, Elizabeth Guillame, Genevieve Fox, Fay Holt Begg, Janet Bauer, Katie Murphy and Laurie Kehler brought their whole selves to learning and teaching in the VALTA Project.

Barbara Sykes and Ann Goldblatt were the Project evaluators.

Fay Holt Begg, Heather Morrison, Jan Reimer, Jeanette Austin Odina, Lorna Burlingette, Kathleen Anderson and Rose Leblanc served on the Project Advisory Committee.

Heather Bain served as our consulting therapist.

Literacy Coordinators of Alberta (now Literacy Alberta) sponsored the Project in partnership with The Learning Centre Literacy Association. Candice Jackson (Literacy Alberta) managed the Project. Laura Godfrey, Robin Waldo and other Literacy Alberta staff provided administrative support. Christy Rust and Tammy Ernst provided administrative support for the Project at The Learning Centre Literacy Association.

Margaret Eastwood, Provincial Literacy Conference organizer, facilitated our efforts to raise awareness about VALTA through workshops, displays, activities and a resource room at the 2003 conference.

The National Literacy Secretariat, Human Resources and Skills Development, Canada, funded the Project in partnership with Alberta Learning. Yvette Souque (NLS) and Keith Anderson and Jeanna Baty (Alberta Learning) supported the Project proposal and implementation.

Stephanie Gill and Cheryl Ulan of Dish Design designed a logo and display for the VALTA Project.

Rhea Jansen gave permission to reproduce her painting for the cover of this publication.

Women across Alberta participated in the VALTA Changing Practices projects.

The Women of Courage group shared their experiences with participants in VALTA workshops.

Many women and men helped to create welcoming and nurturing settings for the VALTA workshops and meetings.

We also want to acknowledge the work of colleagues and participants who have shared experiences and insights about addressing the impacts of violence on learning.

Additional acknowledgments are included in the chapters that follow.

— Jenny Horsman, Judy Murphy and Mary Norton