Take-up the Learning Challenge

It isn’t news that the children in our communities have gone back to school to take up new learning challenges for another ten months. But did you know September is Life Literacy Month? September 8th was International Literacy Day; September 20th to 26th is Learn@Work Week, and September 23rd is Essential Skills Day, which celebrates the importance of businesses investing in workforce training.

Northern Connections Adult Learning Centres is challenging you to take on a learning initiative during September. You may be a “baby boomer” thinking about taking an online course. Maybe you don’t have your high school diploma and want to work towards it. You could be a senior who wants to learn about computers. If you are an employer, you could encourage your staff to take a workshop on WHMIS, First Aid or some other professional development. You may want to take a college course. You might just want to increase your math or reading skills or help someone else to improve. Maybe you want to learn to organize your digital photographs. You can take a one-day course or start on a long-term learning project. Whatever you want, just take up the challenge to learn.

Northern Connections has two sites, one serving Addington Highlands in Northbrook and one serving Central and North Frontenac in Sharbot Lake. We are challenging the two communities to go head-to-head to see who has the most life-long learners. If you start, continue or finish some training during September, just call or fax us with the details and we will record your initiative.

Northern Connections is also here to help, if you can’t seem to find a learning goal, or you don’t know how to go about setting up your training. At both sites, you can work on anything from basic literacy, computer training and high-school equivalency to online college courses and programs. We also arrange or provide workforce certification training in WHMIS, First Aid, SmartServe and other service and safety topics.

To celebrate this special learning month, Northern Connections is holding an open house and free BBQ at their Sharbot Lake site on Tuesday, September 14th from 11:30 to 1:30. Everyone is welcome. Please RSVP to help us plan food.

Part of the festivities will be the grand opening of Northern Connections Community Access and Online Learning E-lab, which received funding from Eastern Ontario Development Program through the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation for new computers and furnishings. The E-lab will be used for public internet use and online learning. Northern Connections offers ACE (Academic and Career Entrance) high-school equivalency, in partnership with St. Lawrence College, and online college courses from OntarioLearn, in partnership with Loyalist College. Brand new to our line-up is the Oasis Skills Building partnership, which offers unlimited access to more than 1000 computer and “soft skills” modules, courses and tests for only $20 a year. Courses include all the Microsoft Office programs, Windows, job-seeking help and business management techniques.

For more information or to register your learning event, you can contact Northern Connections, in Sharbot Lake, at (613)279-2499 Fax (613)279-2022 or, in Northbrook, at (613)336-0691 Fax (613)336-0394.