$33 Million for Literacy

On Thursday, July 2, 2009, the Honourable John Milloy – Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, and Minister of Research and Innovation – announced $33 million in funding for adult literacy:

  • $20,000 flat rate increase for delivery programs plus a 25% increase based on current funding
  • $20,000 flat rate increase for umbrella and support organizations
  • $5 million for e-learning
  • $3 million for research and development

After more than a decade of stagnant funding, how you feel about this announcement? What do you think of the role of the OLC in this process? What is your organization going to do with the allotted funds? Share your ideas, plans and strategies with your colleagues in the field.

Learning Centres Enter Phase 2

Fifty-seven (57) school boards, colleges and community agencies submitted Expressions of Interest (EOI) outlining an Adult Learning Centre Demonstration Project. Fifteen (15) Expressions of Interest were successful – i.e. were selected for proposal development funding (Phase 2). A full list of the successful EOIs can be found at http://ontarioliteracycoalition.com/2009/05/07/expressions-of-interest/.

The EOIs entering Phase 2 span the province with two projects in the northern region, five in the central region, four in the southwestern region and four in the eastern region.

All successful EOIs included an element surrounding the current economic environment (displaced workers, the economy, etc.) and an element surrounding immigrant, citizenship or settlement issues. Two successful EOIs focused on Aboriginal communities, three successful EOIs were francophone-based and 14 out of 15 successful EOIs had a youth component.

An inter-ministerial committee reviews all submissions (Expressions of Interest and Proposals). This committee consists of eight members among the three learning ministries – the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. [Other expertise are drawn upon when appropriate.]

Please note that proposals within Phase 2 are due Friday, September 4 not September 5 as originally communicated. Final projects are still to be chosen from the aforementioned 15 Expressions of Interest. Announcements are expected in the fall.

Adult Literacy Curriculum

The Adult Literacy Curriculum (ALC) Initiative is an undertaking supported by the Learning Ministries of the province of Ontario – Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration.

When completed the Adult Literacy Curriculum is expected to foster greater quality and consistency of instruction in the LBS Program.  It is intended to lead to improved outcomes for literacy learners, including more and easier transitions to further education or training and more successful transitions to employment.

The Ontario Literacy Coalition (OLC) is involved in a number of ALC related projects including participating on the ALC Work Group, and taking a lead with the validation of the ALC with stakeholders external to the literacy field but still impacted by the curriculum (business, labour, settlement services, etc). Finally, the Ontario Literacy Coalition will be working closely with the Regional Literacy Networks to support the literacy community’s transition to this new curriculum.

What will a new Adult Literacy Curriculum mean for the field? Will a curriculum add credibility and professionalism to the field?

There are many questions surrounding the development of the Adult Literacy Curriculum and the OLC would like to know what questions you have surrounding this initiative. Let us talk, as a field.  Share your hopes and any thoughts surrounding the ALC with rest of your colleagues in literacy.

Expressions of Interest

The Ministry of Education, supported by its partners, the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, is developing Adult Learning Centre Demonstration Projects. The purpose of these projects is to produce coordinated, accessible and effective adult education and training programs and services. The core of the Adult Learning Centre Demonstration Projects is improved integration of services.

School boards, colleges and community agencies (funded by the aforementioned ministries) that currently deliver adult secondary school credit programs, adult non-credit ESL/FSL language training program, and adult non-credit literacy and basic skills training are eligible to lead an Adult Learning Centre Demonstration Project.

As a partnership development organization promoting adult literacy across Ontario, the Ontario Literacy Coalition (OLC) would like to applaud this multi-partner, multi-year initiative. (The ‘Template’ and full ‘Call for Expressions of Interest’ are available on the OLC website. )

Multi-year initiatives allow organizations in the field to better plan and execute initiatives as well as develop relationships of substance with community partners, which can only serve to benefit adult learners across the province.

After gathering feedback from past calls for proposals, the ministries are also providing funding for the proposal process. This step recognizes the resources that go into developing proposals and meeting all criteria.

There are many positive changes in this proposal process (implementing feedback, funding for proposals) and there are areas for further development. The Ontario Literacy Coalition is providing this forum to hear your thoughts on the current Call for Expressions of Interest as well as on the overall idea surrounding Adult Learning Centre Demonstration Projects.

As always, we will provide the Ontario Government and its ministries with feedback based on your comments.

New Funding for Literacy Programs

After a long and difficult decade of static funding, literacy programs in Ontario are set to receive an injection of $90 million over the next two years.

Finance Minister Dwight Duncan announced the additional funding for literacy and basic skills programming in the Ontario Budget 2009, released on March 26, 2009. The funding also re-introduced an emphasis on workplace literacy, an important focus for the province as it moves through these turbulent economic times.

The OLC was invited to attend the budget lock-up and OLC Executive Director, Lesley Brown, was able to ask questions of public officials and Ministry staff in advance of the Finance Minister’s speech.

The OLC will keep on top of this issue as it develops and we will be sure to keep you posted.

For more information on the LBS funding increase and refocus on workplace literacy, please see the following:

  1. OLC Press Release – Ontario Literacy Coalition welcomes Government of Ontario New Investment in Adult Literacy Training
  2. Full Details of the Ontario Budget  – Ontario Budget 2009

The Ontario Literacy Coalition worked in partnership with their Public Relations Committee to raise literacy and basic skills as a priority in meeting the growing demands for training and skills development within the province.

Members of the Ontario Literacy Coalition’s Public Relations Committee:

AlphaPlus Centre
Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes
Deaf Literacy Initiative (DLI)
E- Channel Strategy
Laubach Literacy Ontario
Literacy Link Niagara
Literacy Northwest
Ontario Literacy Coalition
Ontario Native Literacy Coalition
Project READ Literacy Network Waterloo-Wellington
PTP (Adult Learning and Employment Programs)
QUILL Learning Network

Also consulted with:

CESBA
College Sector Committee
Community Literacy of Ontario

Book Launch Makes Headlines

Learning From Our History Launch

Learning From Our History Launch

Ontario Literacy Coalition’s launch of Beyond the Book: Learning From Our History on February 26 was a huge success.

Over 100 of our partners and friends from across the province, country and beyond, came together to celebrate the past, present and future of lifelong learning. Representatives from local programs, regional networks, the provincial government, provincial literacy streams, provincial coalitions from across Canada, national literacy organizations, private sector partners, and international learning organizations joined the OLC in championing the literacy movement and people in the field.

The OLC would like to thank Dr. Allan Quigley for researching and writing literacy’s various historical tales, the Canadian Council on Learning’s Adult Learning Knowledge Centre for funding the initiative and Teachers Life, whose donation made the day’s event possible. Thanks to the Toronto Public Library for their support of this event and for use of the venue. Thanks to the talented technical contributors who worked to make the book a success. And immeasurable thanks go to the literacy heroes and heroines whose stories make up Canada’s first documentation of adult literacy as a historical movement.

Carol Goar, of the Toronto Star, was present to experience first hand the momentum within the literacy field, which she has contributed to with her recent articles concerning the importance of literacy and program funding. All of Carol Goar’s articles can be found at www.thestar.com/comment/columnists/94620.

Please remember our history is an organic entity whose story is continually being written. The OLC is interested in continuing this initiative and we would like to encourage you to share your story with the rest of the field, and the world, by visiting www.on.literacy.ca/history.

The momentum carried on from our celebration to the provincial legislature where MPP Garfield Dunlop presented a private member’s bill addressing the need for increased funding for literacy programs across Ontario. The OLC was present for this tabling and is hopeful this bill is actualized in the upcoming provincial budget.

The Honourable Dwight Duncan, Minster of Finance and Revenue, addressed the Canadian Club and Empire Club last week regarding the budget (www.fin.gov.on.ca/english/media/2009/sp03-CanClub.html).