In an ongoing effort to keep the focus on the need for adult learning, the County of Ponoka Literacy Society held a dialogue session on Tuesday, April 14 to gauge how the community wanted to progress with adult learning.
“Community dialogues are a valuable first step toward increasing and enhancing access to lifelong learning and continuing education in our community,” said co-ordinator Dorothy Houghton.
A series of questions regarding the concept of adult learning in the community was posed to those who attended, and the attendees were broken into small groups to discuss each issue.
Groups in attendance included: retired teachers, IODE, the Knights of Columbus, Parkland Reform Church, the Royal Canadian Legion, Ponoka Jubilee Library, St. Mary’s Anglican Church, the Ponoka Seniors Drop In Centre, Family and Community Support Services, County of Ponoka Literacy Society, the Early Childhood Coalition, Community Learning Network and members of the general public.
The idea to hold a session on the topic was proposed by the Government of Alberta under the ministry of Innovation and Advanced Education via the Community Learning Network.
“They do the funding,” Houghton explained. “They felt there was a need to have this discussion.”
“Through this project, we want to help foster and support a ‘culture of collaborations’ so solutions to addressing the need of adult learning in Alberta can be tailored to each community’s needs and (be) supported by the community as a whole,” she added.
Topics discussed during the event include what adult learning needs should be addressed in Ponoka and what are the barriers adult learners in the community face.
As for the community’s needs, multicultural events, computer literacy, numeracy, communication skills, product knowledge and more comprehensive workplace training, financial literacy and issues for seniors were all concepts named that need to be addressed in order to enhance adult learning.
Challenges thought to be present in the community include awareness of programs offered, costs and financial issues, physical access, timing of the programs in relation to a person’s schedule, community attitude, transportation, childcare and fear and embarrassment were all named.
The need to work to increase adult learning in communities is nothing new and Houghton says it has been on the radar in Ponoka for more than a decade. She has been with the County of Ponoka Literacy Society for approximately 15 years. “But is started way before then,” she stressed.
In recent years, the efforts that are being put into adult learning have improved the situation. “In the last few years, many of the English language learners have their permanent residence card and some, their citizenship card,” said Houghton.
Adults investing in programs such as the society’s English Language Learning and Adult Basic Education — both of which are free programs — are finding employment and building the foundation needed for a successful life in the community.
“There’s lots of success stories,” said Houghton.
While adult learning benefits the learners directly, it also benefits communities as a whole with less unemployment, assimilation and a better-educated population, says Houghton.
“And that’s what it’s all about,” she added.
For those looking to contribute to adult learning, the County of Ponoka Literacy Society is in need of more volunteers to work with the learners.