Celebrating Families and Learning in B. C.

Selkirk Region (West Kootenays)...

West Kootenay family literacy programs are centred in Castlegar, Trail, Nelson, Nakusp, Grand Forks, and New Denver. This year there are programs running at full capacity with waiting lists in all six communities.

Some examples:

• In Grand Forks, “Books Without Boundaries”, an innovative program running in the Grand Forks Public Library, has moved books from the library to various community agencies and centres to make them more accessible to all members of the community.
• In Nelson’s “Family Night Out” program, the whole family is invited to come to a local community school on Wednesday nights for an evening of sharing books, stories, activities, games and fun.
• LAPP (Literacy and Parent Partnership Program), Mother Goose programs and Home Work Clubs are operating throughout the region as well. Learning and Family Fun – “LAFF” – is popular in many communities.
• Selkirk Regional Coordinator Jennifer Cliff-Marks says, “Family Literacy Week will be an opportunity to feel proud of the hard work and commitment of all the families involved in our programs, the coordinators and volunteers, our partners, and Board of Directors that make Project Literacy West Kootenay thrive.”

Learners Educational Action Research
Network (LEARN) to Interview the Field

The Learners Educational Action Research Network is a group of adult learners who are researching how to build and sustain a network for literacy learners in B.C. The project is funded by the 1999/2000 B.C. literacy cost-shared program.

The research team is receiving training in research skills and will conduct personal interviews with learners, administrators, instructors, and funders in the field this winter.

Team members are:

Marina Niks of the University of British Columbia is our research “friend” and trainer.

We look forward to meeting and talking to people in the field over the next few months!

If you have any questions about the project, please contact Sandy at 1-800-663-1293 or s_middleton@douglas.bc.ca.