AN OVERVIEW OF OUR FUNDING
Calgary Learns funds programs that enhance and complement other parts of the learning system in Alberta including adult literacy, ESL and employment enhancement. We also fund programs designed to address a variety of community issues.
** Please note these are Calgary Learns internal scoring tools, provided for your reference only and do not need to be included with your proposal.
Calgary Learns receives our funding from Alberta Advanced Education and Technology. Our funding priorities and criteria are based on our annual community consultations and are aligned with the mandate set by Alberta Advanced Education and Technology (AAET).
WHY A RESOURCE PAGE?
Calgary Learns designed this page in response to our Community Consultations and to help applicants develop a clearer understanding of our Request for Proposal (RFP) and funding process. This information is meant to be used as a guide to explain some of the concepts and terms used in our RFP.
The definitions and links provided are meant to be guidelines; they are in no way comprehensive, nor are they meant to be the only framework through which to view definitions and concepts.
This is an ongoing information source so please check back often.
If you have information that you would like to share, that you believe would be helpful or beneficial for others when completing our RFP please contact us and we will do our best to add it to the list of resources.
DEFINITIONS & LINKS
- Foundational Learning: refers to the basic skills adults require to fully participate in life, community and work.
- Barriered Learners: part of Calgary Learns funding requirements is that programs are designed to serve learners with financial barriers. Individuals who do not have financial barriers cannot be subsidized or supported with Calgary Learns funds. However Calgary Learns appreciates that many learners are multi-barriered, meaning that the factors impeding their learning reach father than not being able to pay to attend classes and can include but are not limited to: low literacy, ESL, self esteem, mental health or a disability.
- Embedded literacy or integrated literacy: refers to programming where reading, writing and/or numeracy skills are developed along with the development of skills in knowledge in another area.
- Functional illiteracy: refers to the inability of an individual to use reading, writing, and computational skills efficiently in everyday life situations. Those who are functional illiterate have difficulties performing fundamental tasks such as: filling out an employment application; following written instructions; reading a newspaper article; reading traffic signs; consulting a dictionary; or understanding a bus schedule .
- Essential skills: the skills needed for work, learning and life. They provide the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplace change.
ADULT LEARNING PRINCIPLES
Part of being an effective instructor and developing effective programs for adults involves understanding how adults learn best. Compared to children and teens, adults have special needs and requirements as learners. The following links are designed to provide an overview of adult learning principles:
http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/adults-2.htm
Based on the work of Malcolm Knowles well written description of the characteristics, motivations and barriers of adult learners. It also includes tips for instructors.
http://www.thestudyplace.org/images/adultlearningprinciples.pdf
A list of principles and practical application oriented to language and literacy learning in adults.
http://www.southernhealth.org.au/cpme/articles/adult_learning.htm
This last one explains, in brief, the Knowles theory (see the first link above) and also summarizes two other major perspectives on adult learning principles: Carl Rogers (experiential learning) and K.P. Cross’s Characteristics of Adults as Learners or CAL theory.
