OLC and Capacity-Building | Literature and Resources
Partners in Building Capacity
Literacy in Ontario is supported by an experienced and passionate field, which consists of adult literacy students, volunteers, practitioners, researchers, academics, sectoral groups, regional networks, cultural streams as well as partners in community public and private sectors. To make Ontario a more literate and productive province, workers in the literacy field need appropriate information and resources. The OLC works diligently to support our literacy practitioners and administrators by building the capacity of the literacy field.
Linking the field and the people of Ontario
- As Ontario moves forward in a knowledge-based economy, literacy and basic skills training is key to the success of the province and individual Ontarians.
- The Employment Ontario system (the literacy and basic skills infrastructure) facilitates a variety of learning opportunities for 50,000 Ontarians every year.
- For the literacy field to adequately serve the people of Ontario, the professionals within that system require professional development opportunities.
Ontario has a sophisticated delivery and infrastructure system that supports adult literacy and basic skills development. For further information on Literacy and Basic Skills Programming and the organizations that each play a critical and necessary role, visit Literacy in Ontario.
OLC and Capacity-Building
The Ontario Literacy Coalition defines capacity-building as actions that improve effectiveness. Capacity-building can involve the training of employees (professional development) – and potentially even the certification of employees (professionalization).
The Ontario Literacy Coalition defines capacity-building as actions that improve effectiveness. Capacity-building can involve the training of employees (professional development) – and potentially even the certification of employees (professionalization).
Our strategy for Building Field Capacity seeks to:
- Gather provincial, national and international data and intelligence surrounding capacity-building of literacy professionals.
- Facilitate partnerships within the literacy field as well as between the literacy field and relevant community partners.
- Promote the professional development of literacy practitioners and administrators as a means of improving the effectiveness of the literacy field in Ontario.
- Advise the public sector on policy and program development, establishing a professional development path for literacy professionals and creating standards of practice for program delivery.
Since 1987, the OLC and capacity-building have been intrinsically linked. The OLC’s commitment to building field capacity is a key element in fulfilling its mandate of ensuring all adults in Ontario fully benefit from literacy.
Our activities and initiatives in the Building Field Capacity Strategy include:
Advising Public Policy
Ontario Adult Literacy Curriculum
Best Practices in System and Service Planning
Literature and Resources
The Ontario Literacy Coalition has developed literature and resources to support, promote and create pride within the literacy field.
The Ontario Literacy Coalition has developed literature and resources to support, promote and create pride within the literacy field.
Beyond the Book: Learning From Our History. 2009.
Canada’s first documentation of literacy as a historical movement. It takes a critical look at literacy from the 19th century and continues its storytelling to include present-day programming in Ontario.
Literacy in Ontario. 2009.
The first and only cross-sectoral literacy data published in the province. This comprehensive resource provides important information on the role of literacy in economic and social outcomes of Canadians, an outline of the literacy training system, and an overview of the forces in Ontario that affect literacy levels.
To order these publications, contact olc@on.literacy.ca. View all OLC publications.
Literacy Factsheets
Produced by the Ontario Literacy Coalition. A series of factsheet outlining the impact of literacy on Work, Life, Families, New Canadians, Poverty and Health.
Essentials Skills Bulletins Series
Produced by the Ontario Literacy Coalition. The Essential Skills Bulletin series provides literacy practitioners with current information on essential skills and offers practical activities that can be used in the classroom to help students develop the skills needed for work, learning and life.
Professionalization Of Adult Literacy Practice In Ontario
Produced by the Ontario Literacy Coalition.
Resources
Workshop Inventory for Literacy and Basic Skills/Academic Updating Programs and the General Public
This inventory was put together to showcase the expertise of practitioners, administrators and contractors in the Literacy and Basic Skills field in Ontario.
Conferences, Training and Workshops:
Certificate in Adult and Continuing Education (CACE)
Literacy Educator Certificate Program
Ontario Association of Adult and Continuing Education of School Board Administrators (CESBA)
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)
Regional Networks of Ontario
The Centre for Literacy
Online Training:
AlphaPlus Centre
Community Literacy of Ontario (CLO)
Contact North
Partners in Building Capacity
As a partnership development organization, the Ontario Literacy Coalition recognizes the importance of collaboration in every aspect of our work. The OLC would like to acknowledge the organizations that have partnered with us to offer professional development opportunities to stakeholders in the literacy field - across the province and across the country.
