How well do you know your Canadian Trivia? Are you an armchair Jeopardy Champion?  Come out to the Blackfly Derby to show off your skills. You might bring home some prizes or one of the coveted Blackfly Derby Trophies.

Connections Adult Learning is holding the first ever Blackfly Derby Chili and Trivia Night, Friday May 5th from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, at The Granite Ridge Education Centre. Trivia questions will focus on a variety of subjects for all ages, but will all have a Canadian connection in respect to Canada’s 150th Birthday celebrations this year.  You can come on your own, or put together a team of up to four family, friends, or co-workers to compete in this fun and food filled night.  Each team will be using a hand held device, either a smart phone or tablet.  You can bring your own or one can be provided.

The program being used for the challenge is called Kahoot.  This program is used widely by more than 1.5 million educators and over 49 million students in just the three years since it was developed.   The questions have been created by Granite Ridge students with the help of Teacher, Peggy Hurley. These are multiple choice questions, and hopefully, you will find them challenging and fun.  

Try to think up a creative name for your team as well as an individual “Handle” for yourself.  The theme of the evening celebrates two iconic events in May – The Kentucky Derby and the unescapable Black Fly season.  Teams are encouraged to wear either Derby or blackfly attire, prizes will be awarded for the best.

The cost of this evening is a mere $5.00 in advance or $10.00 at the door. The price of your ticket entitles you to the trivia challenge as well as a delicious chili dinner.   In addition, you will be able to purchase themed mocktails like, Kentucky Derby mint juleps, Shampagne, Deep Woods Off, and Run for the Roses.

Connections Adult Learning will be holding another Blackfly Derby in Northbrook in co-operation with the Lions Club of Land-O-Lakes on Friday, May 12th. This Trivia Challenge will be held at the Lions Club Hall in Northbrook.

Tickets can be purchased at Connections Adult Learning or, if your business or office has put together a team, a Connections staff member can come out to bring your tickets to you. Please check the Connections Adult Learning Facbook page and webpage for more details. Please call 613-279-2499 to purchase tickets or get more information.

This event is to celebrate the ASITT program, created with funds from a Trillium Grant.  ASITT stands for alleviating social isolation through technology. Connections Staff has been out in the community with the assistance of wonderful volunteers, helping people to feel better about using technology and solving problems they may have.

Have you been out of school for a while? Have you thought about going back? Many adults return to school in their 30s, 40s, 50s or older. Some go back to get a high school diploma. Some go to college or take job-specific training. Others go back to take a class they missed the first time around. Still others take special interest courses.

There are benefits to going back to school. You can gain skills and certificates needed for a new job or a change of career. It can help you earn more money through a raise or a better job. Getting out to a class can provide social time. It keeps your brain active. And, there’s pride in success.

Going back to school may be hard for adults. Things don’t have to stand in the way of your dreams, though. There are programs that can help. For example, both Career Edge (Northbrook) and St. Lawrence College (Sharbot Lake and Sydenham) provide employment services. These are for people who are unemployed or working part-time. Their staff can help you with career options, re-training and school choices. They may be able to connect you with help paying for school.

The saying “If you don’t use it, you lose it,” is true. We lose skills and knowledge over the years. You may need those skills to take higher education or for a new job. At Northern Connections Adult Learning Centres, they can check your current skills. Then, they can compare your skills with those needed for your goal. If you want to improve your skills, they can help with that, too.

Northern Connections has free courses to help you with school, work and life. Maybe you want to learn (or re-learn) how to write an essay. Maybe you should pump up your skills to pass a college entrance test. Maybe it is your math or computer skills you need to work on. You can work on any or all of those things at either site - Sharbot Lake or Northbrook.