The Learner Advisory Meetings in Ottawa:
MLAN member, Anita Martens, shares the news from Ottawa
My name is Anita Martens. I became a member of Literacy Partners of Manitoba’s Learner Speakers’ Bureau in April 2007. I completed 20 hours of training before receiving my Literacy Partners of Manitoba - Public Speaking Certificate. I was an active participant for the two years I was a member of the Learner Speakers’ Bureau. Today I am an alumnus of the Speakers Bureau and a member of the new Manitoba Learners Advisory Network (MLAN).
I was asked to be the Manitoba representative on the national Learner Advisory Network (LAN). My first job was to go to the meetings in Ottawa. I have never been in Ottawa before. I was very excited and very nervous at the same time. Sabena Singh, a member of Literacy Partners’ Board of Directors, was also going to Ottawa for the Movement for Canadian Literacy meetings. This was the first time that she had been at these meetings too.
I met Sabena the first time about a week before our trip to Ottawa. Sabina and her sister picked me up from the Ottawa airport. Her sister drove us to the Radisson Hotel in downtown Ottawa. After we settled into our rooms, Sabina and I went for a walk to the parliament building. First, we went for a tour of the Supreme Court of Canada. Then we walked through the parliament grounds and along Spence Street where all the stores and restaurants are. It was a long walk! We didn’t eat supper until nine o’clock.
I was really nervous the next morning because the meetings were starting. I was one of the first to arrive. I introduced myself to Chris Harwood, the LAN facilitator. The other LAN members arrived and the meeting started. I was the only new person there. The others introduced themselves to me. They were all very nice and easy going. By lunch time, I was beginning to relax.
Katherine D’Entremont, the Chief Executive Officer from the National Literacy Data Base (NALD), told us about NALD. NALD gathers and shares electronic information. They want to make it easy for learners to suggest resources for other learners. She has a list of our e-mail addresses so that we can get the weekly update from NALD.
The next day Sue Nielson, Executive Director of the Toronto Adult Students’ Association (TASA), presented the second draft of the International Adult Learners’ Charter started at the International Adult Learners Network meetings held last year in Scotland. LAN members expressed support for the Charter and would like to be involved in the next steps. Sue hopes that it will become part of international law.
Three of the LAN members, Ellen Szita from British Columbia, Patricia Ashie from Ontario, Dianne Smith from PEI, and Sue Nielson are going to the UNESCO conference on Adult Education hosted by the government of Brazil. Some of the LAN members have been on several international trips. Katherine from NALD has asked for a report of their trip so that NALD can issue a news release. LAN members were very excited by this.
I was really impressed by LAN. I learned a lot at the two day meetings. I know now how much I have to learn about literacy. I hope that I can encourage more people to upgrade. In the future, I hope to become involved at the international level of literacy networking. |
in collaboration with LPM
