We set aside seven days each year to think about the many ways literacy impacts our lives. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of students and supporters, to learn new things and to join with our community to share in learning.
At the NWT Literacy Council, we look forward to this week each year. It’s exciting to see what community groups do to celebrate, and to see people from different walks of life come together.
This year the theme of NWT Literacy Week is Literacy: Our Health Depends on it! We invite everyone to take time this week to think about the ways that health and literacy are connected.
We learn better when we have a healthy lifestyle. This includes eating well and being active. Good health and higher literacy skills help us to get jobs and increase our income. Lastly, having strong health literacy skills helps us navigate the healthcare system. This can help us communicate better with health care professionals; as well as help them understand literacy issues among their clients.
NWT communities find interesting and fun ways to celebrate NWT Literacy Week. Chief Jimmy Bruneau School in Behchokǫ is holding a family literacy night, literacy games during the school day, and a Drop Everything and Read event. Students will also craft and display Tłı̨chǫ and English inspirational quotes in the school this week .
In Hay River, people were asked to bring a healthy recipe for two for admission to a healthy lunch at Aurora College. In Fort Smith the Healthy Families Program hosted a book giveaway.
Yellowknife events can be found at http://www.nwtliteracy.ca/sites/default/files/legacy/files/Whats%20New/Literacy_week_poster.pdf or by checking out our Facebook page. That’s also where you can find out about and enter our NWT Literacy Week contest!
Comment below and tell us how your community celebrated NWT Literacy Week.
-- Katie Randall
