What's New

 “This makes education less accessible to many NWT adult learners, particularly Indigenous people who are more likely to live in a small community and to have not graduated from secondary school,” said the Council’s Executive Director, Kathryn Barry Paddock. 

“We’re concerned about the adult learners who want to continue their learning journey in their own community. Moving to a regional centre is not an option for everyone for family or other reasons.” 

The NWT Literacy Council is not convinced that online learning is a practical alternative for many adult learners, nor is moving to regional centres. Community Learning Centres removed barriers for many learners who would have faced housing shortages if they had to move to larger centres like Yellowknife. 

Aurora College issued a news release yesterday about the closures planned for the end of June following a meeting with community learning centre staff. The news release said the college Board of Governors made the decision. 

The NWT Literacy Council supports adult education through the development of materials for learners and instructors. It has partnered with Aurora College on several projects to support adult education. 

“We look forward to discussions with the college to learn more about its reasons for this decision and how it will address the unique needs of adult learners from small NWT communities,” said Ms. Barry Paddock. 

For more information contact: 

Kathryn Barry Paddock 

867-873-9262 

Kathryn@nwtliteracy.ca 

Going Green - Tip sheet

Book gifting program for preschool children supported by Diavik and Gahcho Kué mines in nine communities reaches its one-year anniversary! 

The NWT Literacy Council (NWTLC) is excited to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in communities in the Tłı̨chǫ region, Yellowknives Dene First Nation communities and Kátł’odeeche First Nation, as well as Kugluktuk, NU. The program has also expanded to include Łutsel K'e and Fort Resolution this year.

Expansion of the program to these communities is thanks to support from De Beers Group/Mountain Province Diamonds (Gahcho Kué mine) and Rio Tinto (Diavik mine).

Families are invited to sign up to receive a free book every month for each child aged up to five years old from the Dollywood Foundation of Canada. We hear about the great excitement each month when the books arrive in the mailboxes of participating children. Every registered family also receives family literacy activity packages from the NWTLC. The package has activities tied to a book and encourages ways to bring more learning and sharing with the book.

With three years of support from both Diavik and Gahcho Kué, NWTLC is working to help grow the home library of every child in the funded communities. Having a full and varied home library helps to strengthen children’s early literacy skills and create a life-long love of reading. 

Dolly Parton began the program in her home state of Tennessee in 1995, aiming to help children have high-quality, age-appropriate books at home. The program is now offered throughout the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Republic of Ireland. Earlier this year, the NWTLC expanded access to the program to every community in the NWT.

This support helps NWTLC further our work in supporting family literacy. Family literacy includes all the ways families learn together and recognizes the importance of parents, guardians, and family members as a child’s first teacher. Through programs like this, we work to support them with tools to use in their home.  Adults who engage in family literacy activities with the children in their lives have opportunities to practice their own reading and writing skills, as well as to be a role model for the children, showing how much they value literacy. 

In the first year of our partnership with Diavik/Gahcho Kué, 115 children have signed up for the program in the partner communities, with 1,000 books going into families’ homes. Our goal is to reach another 200 children this year. To help reach more families, NWTLC will host sign-up events in participating communities. 

“The NWT Literacy Council is pleased to announce the contribution of Diavik and Gahcho Kué to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. 
This collaboration plays a valuable role to support early literacy and learning for children in the NWT.”  

-Kathryn Barry Paddock, Executive Director, NWT Literacy Council

We recognize that literacy is the foundation for personal and community economic success. This is why we have supported literacy development in the NWT for the past two decades, through our award-winning Books in Homes program, Books for Babies program, support for preservation of traditional languages, and now through our partnership with the NWT Literacy Council. Since 2003, we have provided more than 60,000 books to youth living in Indigenous communities close to our operations and we look forward to continuing to grow that number in partnership with the literacy council.

-    Avischen Moodley, Country President, De Beers Canada

 
Literacy is a key building block in any child’s development, and we are pleased to support the work of the literacy council in our partner communities. Programs like Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library help set youth up for life-long success, and we are proud to contribute to that success as part of our legacy in the North.

-    Matt Breen, Chief Operating Officer, Diavik Diamond Mine

How families can sign up:

In most of the participating communities, you can sign up online. Families in Ndilo and Dettah, and Yellowknives Dene First Nation members living in Yellowknife will need to use a paper sign-up form. Contact us at nwtliteracy@nwtliteracy.ca to get the form.

For media:

To arrange an interview about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, contact Katie Johnson: (867) 873-9262 or katie@nwtliteracy.ca. 

Find out more about the NWT Literacy Council at www.nwtliteracy.ca.

The Empowering Northern Youth through Career Development (ENYCD) program is a tri-territorial effort between the Yukon Literacy Coalition, the NWT Literacy Council, and Ilitaqsiniq Nunavut Literacy Council. This project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy.

These sessions will contain:

• 4 weeks of classroom learning where students will earn credentials such as first aid, WHMIS, or food safe, as well as workplace skills and ‘soft skills’ such as communication, teamwork, and leadership.
• Cultural elements and may include on-the-land learning.
• 2 weeks of work placement with local partner employers. 

This program will provide each of participant with an individualized experience. The program will be flexible to best accommodate and benefit all participants. So whatever type of work you are interested in we will do our best to find a related work placement. 
 
We look forward to hearing from you!

Deadline to Apply: October 10, 2023 at 5 pm

Information Sheet

Join our team as a Summer Outreach Leader from July 24-September 1, 2023.

Applicants must be between 15-30 years old.

Job Description:

The Summer Outreach Leader will join Family Literacy staff to take the Bison Bus Mobile Family Literacy Center and Bookmobile (a bike) to community events around the NWT. The SOL will lead outdoor literacy activities such as science experiments, crafts, physical literacy games and give away resources like books and craft kits. The SOL will connect with community organizations to coordinate visits and plan activities for each event. They will prepare materials, and restock the bus and bike as needed. They will organize a used book drive, to collect books to be given out at events. 

The SOL will create StoryWalks© and other physical literacy activities to be used by Family Literacy programs around the NWT. They will also work to create a learning garden at the NWT Literacy Council office. A typical week will include time coordinating and planning, with the majority of the time outdoors leading activities at events.

Please send questions to katie@nwtliteracy.ca. Send resume and cover letter to katie@nwtliteracy.ca by 5 pm on Wednesday, July 19.
 

The Family Literacy Assistant will promote literacy through various methods, and will support the work of our Family Literacy Program.

The Family Literacy Assistant will:

• Represent the NWT Literacy Council and facilitate activities at community events such as:
  • Oldtown Ramble and Ride
  • Yellowknife Farmers Market
  • Family programs
  • Events in other NWT communities, with the Bison Bus Mobile Family Literacy Center

The Family Literacy Assistant will assemble Family Literacy kits as part of NWTLC’s Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. This includes:

• Printing and cutting paper-based materials
• Purchasing items with supervising staff
• Filling packages
• Mailing packages as required
• Handing out kits at sign up events
• Helping Family Literacy staff with tracking registrations

The ideal candidate will have the following skills and knowledge:

• Ability to work collaboratively and independently
• Ability to work in a cross-cultural environment
• Interest and knowledge of literacy and learning
• Effective time management and prioritizing
• Knowledge of the north and Indigenous cultures
• Must enjoy working with children and families
• Digital skills such as word processing, spreadsheets, social media and video conferencing

Physical requirements:

• Ability to lift and carry boxes of over 30 pounds
• Riding an adult-size tricycle with books (our Book Mobile)
• Driver’s license is an asset
• There may be some travel within the NWT as part of the role

This position is a six-week summer position from July 17-August 25, 2023. The job will be based at NWTLC’s Yellowknife office, with most days having regular office hours of 8:30-5, but some evening and weekend work may be required, and weekly schedules will be set ahead of time.

Please submit your resume and cover letter to Nicole Sharp, Project Specialist- Family Literacy at nicole@nwtliteracy.ca by 5 pm on Thursday, July 6. Please contact Nicole by email or by calling 867-873-9262 with any questions.

The NWT Literacy Council is currently looking for an Administrative Assistant to join our team for a 12-month term contract. 

An annual training for Recreation Coordinators, Adult Educators, Teachers or Educational Assistants, Community Health Representatives (CHRs), Youth Centre program staff, Wellness Coordinators, Librarians, or anyone interested in youth Skills for Success!

National Family Literacy Day is a national awareness initiative, held annually on January 27th. This special day promotes families reading and doing other literacy-related activities together.  Take 15 minutes a day to learn with your family!  

Family Literacy Day Instructions

A fun and interactive invitation to prepare food together and share your experience with others.