Reading, writing and arithmetic. WeSA国际影视传媒檙e taught from a young age that these are the skills that make us literate, but the NWT Literacy Council says itSA国际影视传媒檚 actually about much more.
SA国际影视传媒淟iteracy promotes community,SA国际影视传媒� says Coleen Hardisty, youth literacy coordinator at the NWT Literacy Council.
SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 physical literacy and cultural literacy and digital literacy SA国际影视传媒� weSA国际影视传媒檙e for promoting literacy where maybe itSA国际影视传媒檚 missed otherwise,SA国际影视传媒� she says.
Natalie Pressman/NNSL photo
The literacy council is a non-profit charity with a stated mission of supporting literacy and SA国际影视传媒渆ssential skills programsSA国际影视传媒� in NWT communities. It promotes a more fulsome approach to literacy.
Last week, the council posted an SA国际影视传媒渆lephant craft giveawaySA国际影视传媒� on its social media channels that could be used SA国际影视传媒渇or all kinds of literacy games,SA国际影视传媒� Hardisty says.
The elephants, which are paper dolls, could be sorted SA国际影视传媒渂y colour, by size, you could make up pattern games, or stories about them. All of that is literacy,SA国际影视传媒� says Hardisty.
Charlotte Upton, the councilSA国际影视传媒檚 family literacy coordinator, says literacy can be embedded in all kinds of programs. Sewing and cooking activities, some of the councilSA国际影视传媒檚 most popular programs, are based in numeracy and conversions.
SA国际影视传媒淵ou have to be able to read a recipe and then maybe you have to double it, or half it,SA国际影视传媒� she explains.
Upton says the council aims to help residents feel confident to participate in their communities: to be able to independently fill out a government document for a health card, for example, or go grocery shopping and understand exactly what they're buying and whatSA国际影视传媒檚 on their list.
The council would normally sponsor more summer programming, including their Bison Bus - a SA国际影视传媒渓iterary centre on wheelsSA国际影视传媒� that brings books and games to communities on the highway system, but of course Covid had other plans. In addition to the elephants, which Yellowknifers can pick up at the council's 48 Street office, the organization is offering online resources for Indigenous language learning, career development, puppet making and other games and activities for all ages.
Upton says the council aims to build capacity and facilitate programs, but also guide community members through starting their own programs and provide funding to help bring literacy training around the territory SA国际影视传媒� in whatever capacity that may be.
