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Pre-conference: Wednesday, November 20, 2019

8:30-9:00 Pre-conference Registration and Breakfast

9:00-10:30

1. Parents as Literacy Supporters (PALS) Facilitators Training – with Fiona Morrison and Aliza Dhungana

2. Train the Trainer for Plain Language Writing Workshops – with Debbie Schiller

3. Introduction to Tutor Training – with Marci Bulloch

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-12:00

Parents as Literacy Supporters (PALS) Facilitators Training – with Fiona Morrison and Aliza Dhungana (cont’d)

Train the Trainer for Plain Language Writing Workshops – with Debbie Schiller (cont’d)

Introduction to Tutor Training – with Marci Bulloch (cont’d)

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-3:30 Parents as Literacy Supporters (PALS) Facilitators Training – with Fiona Morrison and Aliza Dhungana (cont’d)

Train the Trainer for Plain Language Writing Workshops – with Debbie Schiller (cont’d)

Introduction to Tutor Training – with Marci Bulloch (cont’d)

6:00-8:00 Conference Registration

Day One: Thursday, November 21, 2019

7:30-8:30 Registration and Breakfast

8:30-9:30 Keynote: Bjarni Tryggvason

9:30-10:15

1. The Meaning and Emotions of Money: The Foundation of Personal Money Management

2. Harnessing Our Energy: Self-care and How to Maintain Safety for Our Trauma-affected Learners

3. Increasing Legal Literacy with the Help of Plain Language Resources

4. Trends in Public Education: Through the Eyes of a New School District Trustee

5. Reading, Culture and Learning: Book Clubs for EAL Adult Learners

6. Storywalk in the Cariboo

7. Promoting and Supporting Community Literacy Programs

8. Working with Local Government

10:15-10:45 Break

10:45-12:15

The Meaning and Emotions of Money: The Foundation of Personal Money Management (cont’d)

Harnessing Our Energy: Self-care and How to Maintain Safety for Our Trauma-affected Learners (cont’d)

9. The Multi-Function Conversation Circle

10. When I Was a Child

11. Climbing the Ladder of Reading: Instruction for Children Climbing Slowly AND Leaping Up!

12. Science is All Around Us: Ways of Noticing Our Science Literacy

13. Celebrating and Supporting Learner Knowledge with Graphic Organizers

14. Explore Best Practices: Using Family Literacy Outreach as a Model

12:15-1:15 Lunch

1:15-2:00 Plenary: Alexandra Samuel

2:00-2:45

15. Literacy and Essential Skills as a Poverty Reduction Strategy

16. First Nations Learning Programs in Rural and Urban Settings: Two Case Studies

17. Update from the Ministry of Education

18. The Learn About Series

19. ABC Money Matters: Confidence, Money, and the Adult Learner

20. Creative Leadership and Dynamic Decision Making: Balancing Perspective with Process

21. E-learning Materials for Adult Literacy and CLB1 Learners

22. Come Read with Me!

2:45-3:15 Break

3:15-4:45

23. Teaching Reading and Writing to Adult Literacy Learners

First Nations Learning Programs in Rural and Urban Settings: Two Case Studies (cont’d)

24. Supporting Learner Success – Advice from ABE Students

25. Task Group Panel Discussion

26. Helping Newcomer and Refugee Mothers Settle: HIPPY and Innovative Approaches to Literacy

Creative Leadership and Dynamic Decision Making: Balancing Perspective with Process (cont’d)

27. A Discussion of Healthy and Unhealthy Patterns of Technology Use in Families with Young Children

28. Engaging Family Literacy with Block Builders

5:00-7:00 Social – live music & refreshments

Day Two: Friday, November 22, 2019

8:00-9:00 Breakfast

9:00-10:00 Keynote: Chief Robert Joseph

10:00-10:30 Break

10:30-11:15

29. No One Way: Six Proven Approaches to Teaching Adults

30. Building a Learning Scaffold for Immigrant and Family Literacy Programming

31. A Principles-based Approach to Supporting EAL Learners

32. Learners are Teachers: Resourcefulness in the North

33. Symbiosis: Learning STEAM as a Community

34. Youth Teaching Adults: ABC Life Literacy Canada’s New Digital Literacy Program

35. Financial Empowerment: Breaking Barriers

36. Literacy Outreach Coordinators Roundtable

11:15-12:00 37. Supporting LGTBQTS Learners

12:00-1:00 Lunch (included)

1:00-1:45 Plenary: Greg Moore with an introduction by Ralf St. Clair

1:45-2:30

38. Teaching Reading Through Language Experience

39. Fish Don’t Climb Trees: A Whole New Look at Learning Challenges

40. Clear Language and Design: The Basics in Practice

41. Board Governance & what you need to know!

42. What to Do with a Log Jam

43. Understanding Refugee & Immigrant Student Experiences

44. There is no ‘One Size Fits All’ in Digital Inclusion

45. Healthy Start for Families: Engaging Parents and Children for Life-long Health!

2:30-3:00 Break

3:00-3:45

Teaching Reading Through Language Experience (cont’d)

Fish Don’t Climb Trees: A Whole New Look at Learning Challenges (cont’d)

Clear Language and Design: The Basics in Practice (cont’d)

Board Governance & what you need to know! (cont’d)

What to Do with a Log Jam (cont’d)

Understanding Refugee & Immigrant Student Experiences (cont’d)

There is no ‘One Size Fits All’ in Digital Inclusion (cont’d)

Healthy Start for Families: Engaging Parents and Children for Life-long Health! (cont’d)

3:45-4:00 Closing

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Workshop Descriptions

Pre-conference: Wednesday, November 20

1. Parents as Literacy Supporters (PALS) Facilitators Training – with Fiona Morrison and Aliza

Dhungana

This training will give a philosophical overview and shape of the PALS program, a review of the

themes for each session, and a discussion of appropriate resources. The training will be responsive

to the needs of facilitators and will include play-based learning activities; suggestions for how to

work with adult participants, newcomer immigrant families, and aboriginal communities;

philosophies of child development; and cultural sensitivity.

About the Presenters: Fiona Morrison co-developed the PALS program with Dr. Jim Anderson,

University of British Columbia, in 1999 in the Langley School District. Fiona has more than 40 years

experience as an educator in a variety of roles. She has been a classroom teacher, curriculum

coordinator, faculty associate and university instructor. She retired as Director of Family Literacy

and Early Learning at Decoda Literacy Solutions in 2012. Recently, she was teaching part-time on

Mayne Island in a rural K-8 setting. Currently, she is a provincial facilitator for Changing Results for

Young Children, an initiative which focuses on the social and emotional development of young

children. Fiona continues to be passionate about working with families and supporting young

children's literacy learning.

Aliza Dhungana is the Program Manager responsible for PALS at Decoda Literacy Solutions. She

has over 15 years experience in program development, comprehensive adult literacy, gender

equality, early learning and community development with UNESCO and various other national and

international development agencies. Aliza brings with her a passion for joyful learning.

Note: There is a $100 travel subsidy available per Family Literacy Program for this session. To

apply for this subsidy, please contact Aliza Dhungana at adhungana@decoda.ca.

2. Train the Trainer for Plain Language Writing Workshops – with Debbie Schiller

This workshop is best suited to people already comfortable with the principles of plain language

writing. It will prepare you to teach plain language writing skills throughout your community.

The full day workshop includes:

• Workshop Mechanics:

o who, what, when, where, how

o learning outcomes

o best facilitation practices

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• Full review of:

o mini workshops (30 to 60 minutes)

o 3.5-hour workshops

• All necessary Trainer resources (printed and on a flash drive):

o Manuals (health and business) and marketing materials

o PowerPoints

o Videos

o “before and after” examples

About the Presenter: Debbie Schiller’s literacy career spans several decades. It has involved

developing and coordinating early literacy, family and community literacy projects. Through the

years, Debbie has also developed and facilitated a variety of related workshops. Debbie served as

executive director of Vernon’s Junction Literacy Centre from 2006 to 2013. Now retired, Debbie

keeps a foot in the literacy world as a Plain Language advocate, editor and educator.

3. Introduction to Tutor Training – with Marci Bulloch

Are you new to adult literacy, or the volunteer tutor model? Are you unsure about what tutors need to know in order to be effective and stay within the lines of their role? This full-day session will explore training models, content and resources to help you offer the most suitable tutor training for your organization. Participate in group discussions, evaluate your tutors’ needs and create your own training plan.

This session will also review the updated guide to community-based adult literacy programs.

About the Presenter: Marci has over 25 years experience in adult literacy and community

development. She loves connecting with all people from the learning community to help them see

that our goals are mutual. Marci is currently the Program Manager responsible for adult learning

at Decoda, as well as an instructor in the Community Development and Outreach Department at

Capilano University.

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Morning sessions: Thursday, November 21

Keynote: Dr. Bjarni Tryggvason

Dr. Bjarni Tryggvason is a retired Canadian astronaut

who flew on STS-85. Not only did he fly, but he was

one of a few astronauts who got to take up their own

experiments. To say Bjarni is passionate about

science education is an understatement. He has

worked on numerous educational projects, always

pushing educators to expand their knowledge and to

accurately help their students explore science.

Bjarni loves to read, so combining his love of developing science experiments with literacy was a

perfect fit for Story Time From Space, a project of the Global Space Education Foundation. The

project sends children’s books to the International Space Station (ISS). While in space, astronauts

videotape themselves reading these books to the children on Earth. The astronauts on the ISS also

conduct educational demonstrations designed by Bjarni to complement the science concepts

found in the Story Time From Space books.

1. The Meaning and Emotions of Money: The Foundation of Personal Money Management – with

Jose J. Guerrero, MA, RCC

Almost all money management problems are entirely emotional, regardless of people’s academic

or financial status. Issues related to money and debt can cause increased anxiety, stress,

depression, decreased self-esteem, and sleep deprivation, to name a few. This session will help

participants identify patterns in their relationship with money and at the same time learn about

management of their own finances.

About the Presenter: Jose Jaime Guerrero has a Master of Arts in counselling psychology and is a

registered clinical counsellor. He is also a chartered accountant who has worked for over 25 years

in a senior financial and operational management capacity. Currently, he works as a clinical

counsellor for FSEAP and teaches money skills and finances for various organizations in the Lower

Mainland. Jose also leads a private practice focused in Clinical Financial Counselling and coaching

services to individuals and couples.

2. Harnessing Our Energy: Self-care and how to Maintain Safety for Our Trauma-affected

Learners – with Michelle Lebeau, Erica Huston and Trudi Diening

We explore trauma research and how it informs creating and maintaining safe classrooms. The

over-arching theme is instructor self-regulation as key. Participants assess personal self-care

practices, boundaries (including energetic boundaries) and nervous system regulation, in and

outside classrooms. The session is interactive, experiential and perhaps challenging, for

practitioners with open minds and open hearts.

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About the Presenters: Michelle Lebeau has over 20 years experience as an adult educator. She

often works with marginalized, trauma-affected people. They’ve taught her about living with

trauma and its effects. She draws from her background as a Certified Advanced Integrative Energy

Healer (AIEHTM) to provide a unique approach to working with trauma-affected learners.

Erica Huston has a background and training in Certified Advanced Integrative Energy Healing

(AIEHTM), trauma-informed yoga, ocean stewardship and leadership, and business

entrepreneurship. With a deep care and open heart for trauma-affected people, she uses her

eclectic background to fuel common ground and seek both learning and teaching opportunities.

Trudi Diening has been an adult educator for over 20 years and has taught around the world. The

common ground is the firm resolve that “to teach is to learn.” Her learners have sat in foreign ESL,

Fundamental ABE, to University degree classes. The great equalizer is the desire for life-long

learning.

3. Increasing Legal Literacy with the Help of Plain Language Resources – with Patricia Lim and

Sarah Chau

Court orders, forms, and legalese, oh my! The legal system and legal language are difficult to

understand for most people. Learn about innovative free brochures, booklets, websites, and other

resources from Legal Aid to help people navigate and understand the legal system. This session

will also give participants an overview of legal aid and other resources in BC to help learners

prevent and solve legal problems.

About the Presenters: Patricia Lim is the Publications Development Coordinator for the Legal

Services Society of BC, which provides legal aid in BC. She develops and evaluates Public Legal

Education and Information (PLEI) materials and resources and lets community workers know

about these free and plain language resources.

Sarah Chau is the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Legal Services Society of BC. She

develops and implements community partnerships with other organizations to enhance Public

Legal Education and Information (PLEI) and expand outreach to share about legal services

resources and programs.

4. Trends in Public Education: Through the Eyes of a New School District Trustee – with Kat

Eddy

Elected in October 2019 to become a School District 72 Trustee, Kat has spent the last year elbows

deep in learning about the public education system at a provincial level. Armed with this

knowledge, she hopes to share what she knows is coming down the pipe about public education.

This workshop is intended to share information with literacy practitioners on finding information

regarding provincial level mandates, understanding the way that public education is funded

including "what we know" about the new funding model review, and continuing to advocate for

literacy funding.

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About the Presenter: Kat Eddy has worked in adult literacy at both the provincial and community

program levels for over a decade. As executive director of the Campbell River Literacy

Association, she has a wide view in program development and community capacity building,

focusing on activities and resources to strengthen the skills and celebrate the assets of individuals.

Kat was recently elected as a School District Trustee and has spent the last year learning about the

public education system. She hopes that she can utilize this knowledge to assist others in

understanding the complexities of our province’s public education system.

5. Reading, Culture and Learning: Book Clubs for EAL Adult Learners – with Janice Williams

Book clubs are part of Canadian culture, but what if you’re an EAL learner? In this session we will

talk about community adult learner reading programs in Coquitlam and how they help develop

literacy skills in individuals, including reading, thinking, oral communication and continuous

learning while building cultural awareness.

About the Presenter: Janice Williams was a librarian at Coquitlam Library for 29 years, where she

facilitated Adult Learner Book Clubs to engage EAL learners and newcomers in the community in

reading, discussing and learning while using levelled English readers. She is currently a CALP

Coordinator in Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Katzie.

6. Storywalk in the Cariboo – with Kimberley Vance-Lundsbye

Learn about how we implemented the Storywalk program in the Cariboo, lessons learned, and

how this program could be implemented easily in your community. It is cost-effective, engaging,

encompasses elements of early literacy, family literacy, and physical literacy learning, reaches

many people and reduces some barriers to early years and literacy program engagement.

About the Presenter: Kimberly Vance-Lundsbye is a recreation therapist who began working for a

literacy non-profit in 2013. Cariboo-Chilcotin Partners for Literacy serves the entire Cariboo-

Chilcotin region. Kimberly came across the Storywalk program, which began in the US, on Salt

Spring Island in 2017 and brought the program north. The region now has a library of 34

Storywalks.

7. Promoting and Supporting Community Literacy programs through the Ministry of Advanced

Education, Skills and Training – with Louis Chen

Intended for new and existing community literacy providers, this session will provide a general

ministry update, information and tips on how to prepare for CALP funding grant proposals, and

best practices on program implementation. There will also be time for Q&A.

About the Presenter: Louis Chen has worked in the field of education for over 16 years as a

classroom teacher, researcher, and government employee. His professional focus has been on

adolescent and adult literacy, English language learning, and Minority Education. This focus has

provided him classroom and community experiences in both BC and Ontario, where he also

obtained his graduate degrees in Education.

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8. Working with Local Government – with Heather Deal

Do you have a close relationship with your local City Hall or government? Wish you did? Wonder

why you should? Come learn from an insider about the responsibilities and authorities of local

government and how the people at City Hall can support your work.

About the Presenter: Heather brings her background in training, government relations and

community outreach to her position as the Director, Adult and Workplace Learning for Decoda

Literacy Solutions. Heather comes to Decoda after 16 years as an elected official in local

government.

9. The Multi-Function Conversation Circle – with Andrea Krombein

An introduction to the concept of the Multi-Function Conversation Circle, which was developed

for use in Marpole in response to the exponential growth and transient, multicultural and

intergenerational nature of the Marpole population.

About the Presenter: Andrea Krombein is Literacy Outreach Coordinator for Marpole, Vancouver

as well as Seniors Outreach Coordinator and BC Community Response Network Representative,

providing training in recognizing and responding to elder abuse and neglect. Andrea is a

reference librarian and journalist by background and holds an ESL qualification from Cambridge

University.

10. When I Was a Child – with Trudy Ewing

The program, "When I Was A Child" began when we realised there was a huge disconnect

between our young people and our elders. Elders, who were willing, were interviewed by asking

them questions about their childhood. This information was then used and put into a story which

was age appropriate for children 5 to 8 years old. Many questions have been asked by the

children and the elders are more than happy to educate the children on the days gone by. We

started with the most elderly and sadly some have passed away since we gifted them with their

books. We are thankful to have received their stories to pass on to other generations.

About the Presenter: Trudy Ewing has been the Literacy Now Coordinator in Atlin for the past six

years. She has coordinated the Community Adult Literacy Program at Northern Lights College for

the past three years. Trudy taught preschool for fifteen years and worked as a life skills worker for

a counselling agency. "All of these wonderful experiences have led me to my recent

passion......intergenerational connections.”

11. Climbing the Ladder of Reading: Instruction for Children Climbing Slowly AND Leaping Up! –

with Nancy Young

Discover what instruction is essential for those who do not learn to read easily AND why such

instruction can be advantageous for all. Nancy will share examples of teaching strategies,

including code-based movement activities, demonstrating how intellectually engaging and fun it is

to learn the secrets of the alphabetic code!

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About the Presenter: Nancy Young B.A., M.Ed. (Special Education) is a consultant supporting

educators and families across Canada in the implementation of science-based

reading/spelling/writing instruction. A specialist in dyslexia, Nancy is the is the author of Secret

Code Actions™ (Teacher Edition and Parent Edition). Her website is www.nancyyoung.ca.

12. Science is All Around Us: Ways of Noticing Our Science Literacy – with Analise Hofmann and

Connie Leung

This session explores how we all have a base level of science literacy, we just need to recognize

that certain ways of thinking and knowledge are based on scientific principles. Anyone can engage

in the scientific process, ask questions and find solutions. Science isn’t scary – it’s all around us!

About the Presenters: Analise Hofmann is a cell biologist, geneticist, programmer and science

educator. She works to demystify the world of science and make it interesting and accessible to

everyone. She is the host of the STEMminist book club of Vancouver which meets every two

months. To connect, follow @yest4Sci on twitter.

Connie Leung is a diabetes and obesity researcher, an instructor and a STEM enthusiast. She loves

communicating science and connecting with people. She shares her passion for self care and

science by contributing to workshops, blogs and podcasts! If you want to connect, follow

@connieliszt on Twitter.

13. Celebrating and Supporting Learner Knowledge with Graphic Organizers – with Laura Hadwin

Graphic organizers are beneficial for language and literacy learners in that they support

communication, consolidate vocabulary and encourage critical thinking. In this workshop,

participants will explore the creative use of graphic organizers in language and literacy

classrooms. They will experiment with four basic graphic organizers, suggest additional uses for

these, and share strategies about how their use can support learners in diverse learning contexts.

About the Presenter: Laura Hadwin is an instructor in English Language Development at Camosun

College. She is interested in teacher beliefs and identity, as well as creativity in teaching and

learning. She has taught and delivered teacher training in South Korea, Spain, the UK, Turkey,

Qatar and Mexico.

14. Explore Best Practices: Using Family Literacy Outreach as a Model – with Morie Ford and

Vicky Li

Participants will explore best practices and innovative ideas that help them move their community

literacy programs to the next level. Participants will boost their problem-solving abilities and

utilize a strengths-based family literacy approach to tackle challenges in their community literacy

program.

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About the Presenters: Morie Ford is Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House’s (MPNH) Family

Literacy Outreach Coordinator. She has transformed the Family Literacy Outreach program in

innovative ways. A co-founder of the ONE to ONE Literacy Society, a former educator and case

manager at a Vancouver alternative school, and board chair for Writers’ Exchange, she lives and

breathes community literacy.

Vicky Li has worked as Literacy Outreach Coordinator for the past four years. In her recent role at

MPNH, Vicky is the Community Connections and Literacy Outreach Coordinator. She uses her

energy, humour and big smile to help women, isolated men and immigrant families discover their

strengths.

Afternoon sessions: Thursday November 21

Plenary: Alexandra Samuel

Alexandra Samuel is a technology researcher, speaker and writer. The

author of Work Smarter with Social Media (Harvard Business School

Press, 2015), she is a regular contributor to The Wall Street

Journal, The Harvard Business Review, JSTOR Daily and CBC Radio. The

former Vice-President of Social Media for Vision Critical, Alex has

written extensively on how parents navigate the digital world, drawing

on her survey of how 10,000 North American parents handle their

children's online lives.

Alexandra holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Harvard University

and is the mother of two teenagers. Find her at alexandrasamuel.com.

15. Literacy & Essential Skills as a Poverty Reduction Strategy – with Frontier College

This session will present key findings and recommendations of the 2019 Frontier College/SRDC

National Research Project on Literacy & Essential Skills as a Poverty Reduction Strategy. At the

core of the National Research Project is the conviction that literacy instruction can provide low-

skilled adults living in poverty with the knowledge, confidence, resilience and autonomy they

need to overcome the challenges they face and live productive lives.

Presenters: Frontier College staff

16. First Nations Learning Programs in Rural and Urban Settings: Two Case Studies – with Erin

Stewart Elliot and Betsy Alkenbrack

Participants will experience activities and approaches used in two First Nations programs, one

urban and one rural. The session will be hands-on and experiential with a debriefing circle at the

end. The workshop will be facilitated by program coordinators and First Nations learners.

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About the Presenters: Erin Stewart Elliott is committed to supporting Indigenous communities in

her roles at Capilano University. She works in the remote communities of N’Quatqua, Skatin,

Q’aLaTK7em, and Tipella in the unceded Southern Stl’atl’imx Territory. Through her work Erin

demonstrates her values of leadership development, connection, collaboration and authenticity.

Betsy Alkenbrack works with the Squamish Nation to provide adult basic education at the

Eslha7an Learning Centre in North Vancouver. As a Capilano University instructor she also works

with Learning Centres in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. She is grateful for the amazing

community partners, colleagues and learners she gets to work with.

17. Update from the Ministry of Education – with Ministry staff

Join Ministry of Education staff to learn about our priorities, what motivates us in our work and

current initiatives such as a focus on early learning.

Presenters: Ministry of Education staff

18. The Learn About Series - with Ann Johannes

The Tri-Cities Adult Literacy and ESL Working Group came up with the idea of a Canadian culture

series in 2017. Hear about the lessons learned and benefits gained from the Learn About series.

Learn how we worked with our community partners to offer free and accessible sessions, which

cost little to no money and yet had hundreds of participants.

About the Presenter: Ann has been the Literacy Coordinator in the Tri-Cities since 2015 and has

the great fortune to work in an incredibly collaborative and supportive environment. Recently she

has become the Coquitlam Public Library Community Development Liaison. She strongly believes

in the literacy for all philosophy and runs a number of adult and family literacy events in the Tri-

Cities.

19. ABC Money Matters: Confidence, Money, and the Adult Learner – with Paul Bishop

ABC Life Literacy Canada will be presenting on Money Matters, an introductory financial literacy

program. Geared toward learners with low literacy, the program focuses on building learner

confidence. The session will explore how Money Matters reduces learners’ anxiety in talking about

money.

About the Presenter: Paul Bishop coordinates ABC Life Literacy Canada’s programs in Western

and Northern Canada. In his role he works on program development, coordination and outreach.

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20. Creative Leadership and Dynamic Decision Making: Balancing Perspective with Process – with

Sarah Fowler

When do we cease to be simply ourselves, and instead become a part of a larger team effort? In

family or community meetings we must continually ask ourselves if anyone has a different

perspective on the matter. In this session, participants will engage with the question of how to

balance decorum and a safe meeting environment with a constant need to raise the bar on candid

expression.

About the Presenter: Sarah Fowler is a village councillor in Tahsis, BC. Her 2003 film, titled The

Memory Game, has screened throughout eastern Canada and Austria. A past recipient of the

Frank Cole Documentary Film Fund, she created the unreleased short film (shot on 16 mm) called

We love music, a children's garden.

21. E-learning Materials for Adult Literacy and CLB1 Learners – with Monica Qing Zhang

Are you teaching adult literacy or CLB1 learners? Can you hardly find any authentic teaching

materials at these levels? Come and learn about what I developed for my learners and how to

download them for free.

About the Presenter: Monica Zhang is the Language Coordinator for the literacy programs at

Options Community Services. She enjoys utilizing current authoring tools and developing local e-

learning materials for lower-level adult learners.

22. Come Read with Me! – with Fiona Clare

Come Read with Me is a family literacy workshop presented at schools for parents/caregivers of

grade 1 students. It teaches positive strategies to support home reading and helps build a home-

school connection. Participants go home with a bag of reading support materials.

About the Presenter: As the LOC in Kamloops, Fiona enjoys working with many partners on

different literacy initiatives. Building on the success of the One to One Children’s Literacy program,

she wrote Reading Success at Home, a parent handbook for Come Read with Me workshops. It

offers simple strategies to support children’s reading at home.

23. Teaching Reading and Writing to Adult Literacy Learners – with Linda Peteherych

This interactive workshop will demonstrate the three sources of information that good readers

use to make sense of print and will explore the skills literacy students need to learn in order to

make use of these three sources of information. Assessment that informs teaching will also be

covered.

About the Presenter: Linda Peteherych has been teaching LINC for 27 years. She is Reading

Recovery® trained and has had great success applying it to adult ESL literacy learners. She has a

TESOL Diploma from VCC, TESL Canada level 2 Certification and adult EAL literacy certificates.

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24. Supporting Learner Success: Advice from ABE Students – with Alison Bowe, and Jill

Auchinachie

From 2010-2017, Jill and Alison interviewed Fundamental and Intermediate ABE students as part

of a longitudinal study. Presenters will share the motivations and success factors reported by

adult learners from the longitudinal study. Attend this session to investigate how your practice

could be enhanced through using the research findings.

About the Presenters: Alison Bowe is a member of the Provincial ABE Math Working Committee;

a former Chair of the Access to Career and Academic Programs Department at Camosun College

and a former volunteer with the Bridges for Women Society Board of Directors. Alison holds a

MSc and BSc.

Jill Auchinachie is a retired ABE Instructor from Camosun College. She is a former volunteer on the

Victoria Project Literacy Board of Directors; former Co-Chair and member, Provincial Fundamental

ABE Articulation Working Committee; former Chair, Academic and Career Foundations

Department, Camosun College. Jill holds a BEd, a Professional Teaching Certificate and MEd.

25. Task Group Panel Discussion – with Maureen Kehler, Beng Favreau, Rebecca Beuschel,

Shantael Sleight and Joan Exley

Join literacy outreach coordinators (LOCs) from across the province in a facilitated discussion on

literacy task groups. Learn the what, where, when, who, why, and how of collaboration in the task

group context.

About the Presenters: Maureen is the Program Manager responsible for Literacy Outreach

Coordination at Decoda Literacy Solutions, working with LOCs throughout the province and on

various other programs and initiatives. The panel represents LOCs from communities across the

province – Beng from Haida Gwai, Rebecca from Quesnel, Shantael from Saanich and Joan from

Nelson.

26. Helping Newcomer and Refugee Mothers Settle: HIPPY and Innovative Approaches to

Literacy – with Christine Buttkus, Wazi Dlamini-Kapenda, and Lisa Herrera

In this presentation, the Mothers Matter Centre will share how its programming and theory of

change supports literacy in vulnerable mothers and families. The panel members will share results

and lessons learned to date from the HIPPY Program and three newcomer program innovations

that include the HIPPY and ELL program.

About the Presenters: Christine Buttkus is Director of Newcomer Program Innovations at the

Mothers Matter Centre. Her role includes responsibility for overseeing pilot projects serving

newcomer and refugee mothers in Canada.

Wazi Dlamini-Kapenda is the Director of Multicultural Programs for the Mothers Matter Centre.

Wazi is a member of the HIPPY and Early Language Learning (ELL) Advisory Committee.

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Lisa Herrera is Lead Instructional Coordinator - Language College - LINC, ISSofBC. Ms. Herrera

leads the Curriculum Development Team for the HIPPY and ELL program.

27. A Discussion of Healthy and Unhealthy Patterns of Technology Use in Families with Young

Children – with Paul Zuurbier and Zak Draper

Results and recommendations will be provided from the community initiated, University of British

Columbia Okanagan led, Family Screen-Time research project entitled "Do Families need to power

down to connect? A Study of Technology, Relationships, and Well-being." This study took place

from February to May 2019 and involved 435 families from the Okanagan region. This research

project is the first of its kind in Canada, and the first study to examine the impact of screen-time

on families with young children between the ages of 0 and 5 years.

About the Presenters: Paul is the Executive Director of Project Literacy Central Okanagan Society

and the Literacy Outreach Coordinator for the Central Okanagan region. Prior to joining Project

Literacy, Paul worked as a director at Mitacs, a national educational research non-profit and as the

Director of Operations for IC-IMPACTS an international research organization. Recently, Paul led a

community initiative to engage UBC researchers in developing a family screen-time research

project. This became a collaboration between Project Literacy Central Okanagan Society,

Childhood Connections Okanagan Family & Childcare Society, the Central Okanagan Early Years

Partnership, and the University of British Columbia – Okanagan.

Zak Draper has a Masters in Psychology and is a PHD candidate at the University of British

Columbia - Okanagan. He is a Mitacs funded researcher for the Family Screen-Time research

project, working under the direction of UBCO Associate Psychology Professor, Dr. Susan Holtzman.

28. Engaging Family Literacy with Block Builders – with Chrisy Hill

In this session, discussion will centre on the importance of parent participation in family programs.

Ideas on how to improve parent engagement will be shared. Participants will learn how Lego and

literacy can be aligned to create fun play-based learning experiences. Parent-child interaction is a

key component of the program. Everyone will receive a copy of the Block Builders program

curriculum. Be ready to experiment with LEGO® and share stories.

About the Presenter: Chrisy started as a facilitator with the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy

(CBAL) in 2014 and became the Literacy Outreach Coordinator for the Elk Valley in 2015. Chrisy

has always had a passion for explaining and teaching in a different way to ensure everyone

understands. This dedication led her to be listed in Ski magazine as one of North America’s top

100 ski instructors. Her passion continues in literacy programing and at home with her two young

boys.

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Morning sessions: Friday, November 22

Keynote: Chief Robert Joseph

Chief Robert Joseph, O.B.C., O.C. is a peacebuilder

who has devoted his life to promoting

reconciliation among Canada’s Indigenous and

non-Indigenous peoples. A hereditary chief of the

Gwawaenuk First Nation, he is a survivor of the

residential school system and helped found

Reconciliation Canada, for which he is now an

ambassador. He sits on the National Assembly of

First Nations Elders Council and chairs the Native

American Leadership Alliance for Peace and Reconciliation. He is also peace and reconciliation

ambassador with the Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace (IFWP), where

he engages with international leaders to learn from and share his understanding of faith, hope,

healing and reconciliation. He holds many awards and honours, including SFU’s Jack P. Blaney

Award for Dialogue.

29. “NO ONE WAY”: Six Proven Approaches to Teaching Adult Learners – with Dr. Allan Quigley

Based on published research and proven practice, this talk will explore the pros and cons of six

different approaches to teaching adults: advance organizers, discovery learning, social learning,

andragogy/self-directed learning, operant conditioning and teaching for social reform. We will

discuss the theories involved and founders of each, the strengths and limitations of each, and end

with discussion of your own practice and which of these you might want to try in your own

practice.

About the Presenter: Dr. Allan Quigley is a recently retired Professor of Adult Education who has

over forty years of experience in teaching, administering and researching adult literacy education.

He is the author of four books and some 100 articles, and currently serves as Vice President of

READ Surrey-White Rock Society.

30. Building a Learning Scaffold for Immigrant and Family Literacy Programming – with Carole

Stretch and Bekah Jones

Immigrants, especially families, can find it extremely overwhelming to participate in community-

based family-focused programs; the range of challenges and barriers can be extensive. Explore

how literacy programs can support immigrants, especially parents of younger children, to move

into mainstream family programming and how an immigrant parenting program and a family

literacy program can be integrated to this end.

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About the Presenters: Carole Stretch is Program Manager of the Whistler Welcome Centre,

Settlement Services and Community Learning Program (CALP). She has taught in France, Thailand,

Norway and the Philippines. In Whistler, she works with immigrants in a range of programs

supporting ESL, literacy and integration.

Bekah Jones is a Multicultural Outreach Worker in Whistler where she works with immigrants and

newcomers. She is part of the development team for the Parenting in Another Culture program,

which seeks to build the skills and confidence for immigrant parents to be able to actively

participate in community-based family-focused programs.

31. A Principles-based Approach to Supporting EAL Learners – with Julie Ship and Dr. Amea

Wilbur

This session explores how we respond to the complexities of supporting language learning within

current structures, systems and expectations. Presenters will guide you through a discussion on

incorporating the principles of Reflection, Awareness and Empathy into your work. The session

will also allow for the examination of case studies, strategies and collaborative approaches.

About the Presenters: Julie Ship taught EAL for over 12 years abroad and locally for private

schools, school districts and LINC. Now, as AMSSA’s Language Program Manager, she supports

language programs funded by IRCC. Julie is also completing an MEd degree with interests in the

politics of language, identity and culture and newcomer literacy.

Dr. Amea Wilbur is an instructor at the University of the Fraser Valley. She holds an Ed. D from the

Department of Educational Studies, UBC. She recently co-authored a book through TESOL

International called The 6 Principles for Exemplary Teaching of English Learners: Adult Literacy and

Workforce Development.

32. Learners are Teachers: Resourcefulness in the North – with Kate Toye, Anissa Watson and

Elena Kusaka

Join Literacy Outreach Coordinators (LOC) Kate, Anissa, and Elena from the Northern BC towns of

Prince Rupert, Hazelton and Terrace for this experiential and energy-building workshop. By way of

movement, story, and action, facilitators will share resources from their rural communities and

create time and space for all participants to learn from each other.

About the Presenters: Kate Toye is the LOC on the traditional unceded territory of the Tsimshian

people. Kate has been involved in community development for the past eight years and believes

strongly in the collective impact of community partnerships. Kate has seen the value of using

partnerships to create opportunities that address community gaps.

Anissa Watson lives, plays, and works on unceded Gitxsan Territory. As a community organizer for

Storytellers' Foundation, a place-based non-profit in Hazelton, Anissa manages the community

learning store front "The Learning Shop." When not running programming, you will find her

running rivers with her children or in the garden growing food.

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Elena Kusaka, is the Terrace LOC and the Women’s Centre Program Coordinator at Terrace

Women’s Resource Centre Society, located on the traditional and unceded lands of the Tsimshian

Peoples.

33. Symbiosis: Learning STEAM as a Community – with Jo-Ann Coggan

Symbiosis is a province-wide STEAM ecosystem (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Design,

Math), designed to deliver equal access to high quality learning opportunities for all learners in

British Columbia. Learn about this new BC wide initiative, why it’s needed and how it can support

your STEAM programs, events, needs and goals. The presentation will include discussions and a

public participation activity.

About the Presenter: Jo-Ann Coggan is Director of Community Outreach and Symbiosis. She has

been working with children her entire career and has been working at Science World for 21 years.

Her career to date, and the past 10 years working in outreach, has prepared her well to lead the

Symbiosis team. With a wide network of solid and long-term connections from around the

province, she has well established relationships to lean on and work with. Jo-Ann understands

that as a province-wide initiative Symbiosis would only succeed with a strong network of diverse

partnerships.

34. Youth Teaching Adults: ABC Life Literacy Canada's New Digital Literacy Program – with

Allison Nichol Longtin and Jesse Myers

Join ABC Life Literacy Canada's Youth Teaching Adults (YTA) team to learn more about this new,

free Digital Literacy program with an intergenerational, reverse-mentorship model. You'll learn

about the program's development, the experience of collaborating with a partner to bring the

program to under-served communities across the country and what we're hearing from

participants. Speak with the YTA team about how to bring the program to your community and

how it can be adapted to suit your learners.

About the Presenters: Allison is the Programs Specialist at ABC Life Literacy Canada. During her 3+

years at ABC, she has worked in a number of different roles, most recently as the Senior Programs

Coordinator for Western & Northern Canada. She manages the Youth Teaching Adults digital

literacy program. Allison loves learning new languages, riding her bicycle and doing crosswords

(not all at the same time)!

Jesse Myers is a recent graduate from Mount Allison University with a major in Psychology and a

minor in Philosophy and Religious studies. As the Youth Teaching Adults (YTA) Program

Coordinator, he’s responsible for connecting with organizations to run the YTA program to help

increase digital literacy skills in the adult/senior population while creating meaningful volunteer

opportunities for youth.

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35. Financial Empowerment: Breaking Barriers – with Dolorese Plante

Breaking Barriers will focus on recognizing and breaking barriers by providing tools to alleviate,

reduce and prevent poverty with literacy. Topics will include:

• Outreach – finding your clients

• Self-Awareness – recognizing and breaking barriers

• Discovering the Root Cause – what’s stopping your client from learning

• Partnerships with other Agencies – connecting the dots with your clients

• Follow-up - achieving goals

About the Presenter: Dolorese has been working as a Skills Coordinator at the Comox Valley

Lifelong Learning Centre for the past six years. She is a lifelong learner and has a passion for

teaching. Dee is continually evolving her program to reach out to more clients. She can often be

seen dragging laptops and an Instant Pot around town while delivering her Bytes & Bites

workshop throughout the community.

36. Literacy Outreach Coordinators Roundtable – with Maureen Kehler and Margaret Sutherland

Come together with other literacy outreach coordinators for a facilitated discussion on all things

LOC! Bring your ideas, questions, suggestions and concerns.

About the Presenters: Maureen is the Program Manager responsible for Literacy Outreach

Coordination at Decoda Literacy Solutions, working with LOCs throughout the province and on

various other programs and initiatives. Her background in health and employment services has

provided the context for teaching and gaining experience in a variety of environments.

Margaret is the Executive Director at Decoda. Margaret has 19 years’ experience working in BC’s

literacy field. Her experience includes working as a regional manager, communications manager,

literacy outreach coordinator, program facilitator, trainer, event planner and tutor. This varied

experience has given her an understanding and love for community literacy work.

37. Supporting LGTBQTS Learners – with Shantel Ivits

Through this session, participants will learn about gender diversity, gain strategies for creating

welcoming environments for trans students and understand how to respect the rights of trans

students in educational settings.

About the Presenter: Shantel Ivits is an instructor in the Basic Education Department at

Vancouver Community College, as well as the author of the six Adult Literacy Fundamental English

textbooks for the BC Open Textbook Project. Shantel identifies as transgender. For the past nine

years, they have served as a lead organizer of the first clinic in North America run by and for trans

people. They created an adult upgrading class for queer, trans and Two-Spirit students; launched

the Trans Rights BC project; and authored a wide range of resources used by health authorities in

BC.

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Afternoon sessions: Friday November 22

Plenary: Greg Moore

Greg Moore is the former Mayor of the City of Port Coquitlam and

Chair of the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors. He has a long

career in public service and business, and extensive experience in

media.

Greg’s recent leadership accomplishments include:

• 10-year, $7.5 billion Translink Mayors Plan

• National Zero Waste Council

• Union of BC Municipalities Housing Committee

• Regional Prosperity Initiative

He is now the proud owner of the Patina Brewery Brewhouse and

Barbecue in Port Moody and Proprietor of the Livable Region

Group of Companies.

38. Teaching Reading Through Language Experience – with Marci Bulloch

Join an interactive and fun session on how to bring the language experience process into your

tutor training program or your direct work with learners.

About the Presenter: Marci has over 25 years experience in adult literacy and community

development. She loves connecting with all people from the learning community to help them see

that our goals are mutual. Marci is currently a program manager at Decoda as well as an

instructor in the Community Development and Outreach Department at Capilano University.

39. Fish Don't Climb Trees: A Whole New Look at Learning Challenges – with Sue Hall

Sue Hall is the author of Fish Don’t Climb Trees. Sue's aim is to shed light on the 'gift' that leads to

both learning challenges and talents. She will provide theory to help understand and overcome

learning challenges and will provide a hands-on experience with one of the components. Fish

Don’t Climb Trees is based on her personal experience with dyslexia.

About the Presenter: Sue is dyslexic, has been facilitating children and adults with learning

challenges for 20 years, and author of Fish Don't Climb Trees. She founded The Whole Dyslexic

Society, presents at Professional Development days, and has been interviewed on radio and TV.

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40. Clear Language and Design: The Basics in Practice – with Tracy Defoe and Jenny Fitzgerald

Are your notices and posters easy to understand? Do people read and understand your written

communication easily? Learn how to apply Clear Language and Design (CLAD) best practices to

your current work samples by balancing fonts, white space and images. With clear wording and

formatting, your message will be read and understood at a glance.

About the Presenters: Tracy Defoe and Jenny Fitzgerald are instructors for Capilano University's

Community Development and Outreach Department. With backgrounds in course development

and training, they are advocates for Clear Language and Design (CLAD) who want to turn you on

to clearer communication.

41. Board Governance & what you need to know! – with Rebecca Beuschel

Participants will be given an overview of the roles and responsibilities of working with a board of

directors. Information presented will be framed within the specific context of working for a not-

for-profit literacy organization, with consideration given to those working in small communities

(where the President of the Board might also be a neighbour). Participants will work through a

series of common scenarios to understand and determine roles and responsibilities of managers,

coordinators, staff members and board directors.

About the Presenter: Rebecca has been the LOC in Quesnel since 2007. Prior to that, she was the

Regional Literacy Coordinator (New Caledonia Region) and has been involved in community

literacy initiatives since 1999. She was a director on the Literacy BC Board and as President she

represented Literacy BC on the committee that formed Decoda Literacy Solutions. She lives and

works in Quesnel.

42. What to do with a Log Jam – with Debbie Denault

Perhaps conflict is inevitable when groups of people work together. Like a logjam on a river,

conflict can cause slowdowns, spills or even a change in course. But all is not lost. This workshop

will provide tools for thinking about the causes, and concrete strategies for developing strong,

vibrant collaborations.

About the Presenter: Debbie Denault is currently the Literacy Outreach Coordinator in Chilliwack

BC. She has maneuvered through numerous logjams during her career. As a member of a

committee, network or initiative, and sometimes as a leader, she has experienced the pure joy

and truly difficult challenges that come with collaborative practice.

43. Understanding Refugee and Immigrant Student Experiences – with Candace Marvel

Participants will learn through first person stories, the personal journey and settlement into

Canada of refugees and immigrants. Participants will also learn the history/situation of students

from refugee trauma backgrounds and gain resources for supporting them and helping them in

the school and community. Insights and learning from settlement workers will be shared.

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About the Presenter: Candace is a Settlement Workers in Schools Programs Coordinator at the

Surrey School District. Originally from Burma, she came to Canada in 2004 as a student refugee

after being stateless in Thailand and India where she took refuge for 21 years. Candace has

assisted newcomer families by connecting them to academic and community resources since

2006. She also facilitates workshops that assist community partners and school personnel in

understanding the complex needs of students and newcomer families who have experienced

trauma.

44. There is No ‘One Size Fits All’ in Digital Inclusion – with Dionne Pelan and William Booth

Participants will consider how different groups they work with are affected by digital policies. This

session draws on the concept of intersectionality and the ways in which different groups are

positioned in the digital world. This session will include an interactive discussion centred around

digital justice and equity issues such as poorly designed government forms, online-only services

that exclude our communities, data and privacy.

About the Presenters: Dionne is a non-traditional educator who holds a Provincial Instructors

Diploma. She has over 15 years’ experience teaching and leading digital literacy activities using

effective adult education approaches. She takes an asset-based approach to help cultivate

relationships and build capacity between a diverse range of stakeholders.

William Booth is a skilled educator, development consultant and evaluation specialist with

professional experience in the non-governmental sector in more than sixty countries. He works

effectively with a diverse range of partners and ideas addressing complex issues. William has

recently been focused on digital literacy as an integral aspect of understanding literacy, not as

binary, but as a basic life skill which allows one to participate more fully in their life.

45. Healthy Start for Families: Engaging Parents and Children for Life-long Health! – with Erica

Stevenson & Rebecca Klapwyk

Healthy Start for Families is a program for parents, caregivers and young children. Through fun,

flexible hands-on sessions parents and children learn new skills around healthy eating, physical

literacy and active play. The presentation will introduce the new and revised LEAP HOP resource

and new Indigenous Activity Cards.

About the Presenters: Erica is a member of the Muskoday First Nation in Saskatchewan and

joined the Healthy Start Team in 2015. She has a background in Early Learning and Childcare and

24-hour emergency homes. She has hands-on experience in providing healthy meal options and

supporting daily physical activity with young children and their caregivers.

Rebecca joined the Healthy Start team as an implementation coordinator in 2018 with a Bilingual

Bachelor’s degree in Health and Environment from York University’s Glendon College. As a mother

she strives to provide opportunities for outdoor exploration and environmental education for her

two children. Rebecca's interests include food security, access to nature in the early years, health

and the environment.

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With special thanks to: