President's Message

Happy 2022
from the Executive Council
of
The British Columbia Literacy Council
of the
International Literacy Association

January 2022

click for larger picture

I hope very much that you are well. Unfortunately we are not yet able to say Good Riddance to COVID. Linda Klassen, leading the charge in membership, recently attended an online meeting with close to 40 Chapter leaders from the United States, Canada and Australia. There was lots of commiserating over the teacher fatigue and the challenges of engaging people via online professional development sessions. Educators love nothing better than getting together to talk about literacy, their students, and plan events. Fortunately, the International Literacy Association has been able to pivot and embrace online professional development opportunities with inspiring educators and authors. The $99.00 institutes give you access to many inspirational and well known speakers. I highly recommend it.

Yet, there is much to celebrate in the British Columbia Literacy Council of the International Literacy Association (BCLCILA). We have long been trying to recruit new members on our executive council. It is a challenge to let go of the positions that become part of our identities over consecutive appointments and step back to mentor new members, while still giving them the freedom to put their own person stamp on the position. Fortunately, we have a welcoming executive council with an open mind to new ways of being. Of course, COVID has heaped truck loads of stress onto our educators, leaving scant energy reserves to take on new projects. We are so appreciative of our new members taxed with responsibility and still willing to do the work.

We are fortunate that our council now has a diverse range of focus, skills, experiences and background. We now have representation from elementary, middle and secondary classroom teachers, resource teachers, librarians, vice principals, principals, Orton Gillingham tutors, representation from the public and private system, and educators in various stages of their career. The common denominator is the enthusiasm for literacy and supporting literacy learners. Check out the About Us tab to learn more about our executive members on our website.

The positive impact of learning outdoors on physical health, mental health, and intellectual development through STEAM learning has garnered a lot of attention during COVID. This year we are joining with the Wild About Vancouver Committee to support teacher's in teaching and learning in the outdoor classroom. The annual Tidal WAV event will be taking place on Friday, June 3rd and hosting a number of free activities to support participation in physical activity, place based, experiential learning, STEAM learning and discovery of Indigenous ways of knowing. BCLCILA will be setting up a literacy booth to provide information about our provincial council and professional developing opportunities through the International Literacy Association as well as doing draws for online memberships and International Literacy Association professional development. Our vice president, Larkyn Froese, is developing a place-based scavenger hunt. Our membership person, Linda Klassen is ordering support materials and working with Larkyn to purchase outdoor learning books to put into the hands of students once they have finished the scavenger hunt. Our former treasurer, now member at large, Garth Brooks, is approaching publishers about donating non-fiction teaching materials for teachers to support outdoor learning. It is an outdoor event and in June so we are confident that it will be going ahead and have a wide reach.

If you have other ideas or would like to get involved in serving on the executive or volunteering at the British Columbia Literacy Council Booth during the Tidal WAV, please email us at bcliteracyila@gmail.com Also find us on:

Twitter: @BCLitCoun1
Instagram: bcliteracy www.readingbc.ca

The International Literacy Association is a champion of literacy learning in a global context.  The British Columbia Literacy Council of the ILA is part of this literacy family, as well as a strong voice for literacy learning in British Columbia.   I am excited about the election of a dynamic slate of educators ready to use their professional learning networks to expand on innovative literacy initiatives to amplify our voice in the province. We will be working collaboratively with literacy educators in BC to support literacy learning in our province.   

The BCLCIRA can also be an organization that supports innovative literacy leaders in projects that promote literacy in British Columbia. These supports are provided through resources that assist literacy leaders in furthering their vision of making literacy the foundation of success in British Columbia.

Carrie Froese 

President