RiPAL and Research

• RiPAL is hosting a Research in practice gathering May 26th at 6 p.m. in Prince George, at the College of New Caledonia. Everyone is welcome but please RSVP by Wednesday, May 25th. For more information: ripal@literacy.bc.ca or 1-800-663-1293

Professional development

• The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education presents an online course with Jenny Horsman entitled Special Topics in Adult Education: Women, Violence, and Literacy Learning: Impacts and Options. For more information go to: www.literaciesoise.ca/main.html or contact Sheila Stewart or Nancy Jackson at (416) 923-6641 ext. 2708 for more info. Course starts May 2nd!

• Community Literacy of Ontario continues to offer online workshops. Two selections of note this summer include a three-hour online workshop about volunteer management (May 19th) and another in best practices in family literacy: administering a family literacy project (June 9th). Visit their webpage at www.nald.ca/clo.htm or contact them via email at: clo@bellnet.ca

• May 31st is the registration deadline for the 2005 Literacy BC Summer Institute: “More learning, less teaching”: June 20th-July 15th (Online conference) and July 18-22nd (face-to-face workshops). Join Heide Spruck Wrigley and Jim Powrie for what is certain to be another successful Summer Institute. The Institute is designed for instructors, coordinators and administrators of literacy programs, and its focus will be the development of language and literacy for adults and youths with literacy challenges. For more information go: www2.literacy.bc.ca/whatsnew/si2005/si05.pdf

Upcoming conferences

• May - 9-11, 2005 National Conference and Exhibition Opportunity - the Canadian Association for Distance Education (C A D E) and SFU: Learning Virtually ... Anywhere, Vancouver.
  Meet and exchange ideas with decision-makers and influencers in the distance and online education space across Canada. The program covers a wide range of topics on distance education practices. You can also participate as an exhibitor at the "Solution Seminar Series" to present your product offerings or services. For more information see the CADE website: www.cade-aced.ca

• May 16 & 17, 2005. Essential Skills in Action: Contributing to Canada’s Workforce, Winnipeg, Manitoba
  SkillPlan and the Essential Skills Capacity Building project partners are pleased to present a national practitioners’ conference on Essential Skills. The conference themes are: Awareness & Promotion – plug into your essential skills network; Implementation – strategies to use in any learning environment; Materials & Tools – relevant, practical instructional resources; Research & Theory – what we have learned from others. To register, visit www.skillplan.ca/English/2005conference.htm