A Community Adult Learning Program grant awarded to the Strathmore Municipal Library will enable the library to create two full-time positions, with one being a Literacy Services Coordinator.

The Strathmore library is the recipient of a $100,000 Community Adult Learning Program (CALP) grant from the Government of Alberta.

The grant is awarded to community-based organizations funded by Alberta-Advanced Education. They provide increased access to foundational learning opportunities like adult literacy, numeracy, English language learning, and basic digital skills.

Miranda Johnson, Director of Library Services explained, “we’ll be offering learning opportunities for adults at the most basic level in terms of foundational learning and literacy.”

She spoke of the importance of having basic literacy skills, or numeracy skills.

“Could you imagine if you couldn’t read a stop sign? How that would impact your daily life, how you contribute to the economy and support your family,” she said.

“It’s not so much that we will be offering adult education in terms of hobbies, or career support. It’s more of the very basic literacy and foundational learning, that will be our approach,” said Johnson.

The library plans to begin running CALP courses and tutoring in 2020.

According to a Strathmore Municipal Library press release, the library appreciates the ongoing financial support they receive for library service from the Town of Strathmore, Wheatland County, and the Government of Alberta.

This grant is not available to fund basic essential library service.

A full-time Literacy Services Coordinator has been hired to plan and implement the CALP initiative. A second full-time position has been created to support the program.

The library will also be completing a community needs assessment, to determine what is needed in the community.

The assessment will be open to the public and library partner organizations in Strathmore and Wheatland County.