The Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick’s Board meeting and Annual General Meeting was held at the Delta Marriott Hotel Fredericton on October 30th, 2018. This meeting provided an opportunity for those in attendance to hear about the Literacy Coalition activities and accomplishments over the past year, and a chance for Board members, literacy partners and guests to exchange information and updates about their various organizations. To read our LCNB Annual General Report, visit our website: www.nbliteracy.ca

The 2018 winners for the Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell Literacy Awards will receive their awards at a ceremony at the Crowne Plaza -Lord Beaverbrook Hotel Fredericton on Monday, November 26th. Refreshments and welcome reception will be from 6:00-7:00 p.m and the awards from 7:00-9:00 p.m.

 

Awarded annually since 1998 by Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell, former New Brunswick lieutenant-governor and senator and now past president of the Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick (LCNB), these awards recognize outstanding achievements in the fields of literacy and essential skills. They are supported by funds generated by the Peter Gzowski Invitational (PGI) Golf Tournament for Literacy.

 

Early Childhood Literacy Harvest

Growing a Community of Practice

Gather  Share  Grow

The Early Childhood Literacy Harvest will bring together over 250 New Brunswick Early Childhood Educators who work in licensed Early Learning and Childcare Centres and Homes.  This event proudly recognizes and celebrates the early childhood profession in New Brunswick and will give you an opportunity to share and grow in your daily practices in early childhood literacy.

The event will kick off with an awe-inspiring presentation by Sheree Fitch – a multi-award-winning writer, speaker,
author of dozens of books, and educator.  With strong ties to New Brunswick we are thrilled to welcome her back to New Brunswick – her home away from home.  You will have over 10 early childhood literacy workshops and sessions to choose from and a chance to explore in the Literacy Learning Garden.

Registration Opens:  October 10, 2018

There is no registration fee for this event, and lunch and morning nutrition break is provided.  We will break down barriers of attendance by offering shared hotel accommodations at the Fredericton Inn for those travelling more than 100 kilometres.  You must request accommodation in the registration.  A travel reimbursement is also available for those travelling (carpooling required).   

• Admission reserved for educators working in licensed childcare centres and homes
• Maximum 2 tickets per centre
• Limited seats based on size of region
• Waiting list will be available and will open up November 1, 2018

This event is supported by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

For more information, contact your regional literacy facilitator (check out the flyer here).

ASD-West – Fredericton, Woodstock and Area: Megan.Moore@gnb.ca

ASD-East – Moncton and Area: Jessica.LeBlanc@gnb.ca

ASD-South – Saint John and Area: Avril.Wood-Toner@gnb.ca

ASD-North – Miramichi and Area: Rachel.Cameron-Dubé@gnb.ca (acting)

A new mental health initiative will help New Brunswickers by providing them access to therapeutic and self-help in hopes they find healing in what can be a long and painful journey through mental health, addiction or life’s challenges.

The Healing Books Project was founded by a Horizon Health Network (Horizon) client with lived experience and supported by professionals with a variety of backgrounds from Horizon’s Addictions and Mental Health team. She was inspired to create the project because of the support and hope she found in reading self-help and therapeutic books while in treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“This initiative is the result of perseverance and much work from the founder of the project who says books literally saved her life,” said Jill LeBlanc-Farquharson, Horizon’s director of Addictions and Mental Health, Moncton area.

The collection includes more than 1,300 books on addiction, anxiety, depression, mindfulness, stress, trauma and many more topics. The collection also has books for supporters, caregivers, and family members to help them deal with the many challenges they also face.

The creator of the program, together with Horizon’s Addictions and Mental Health team members, approached New Brunswick Public Library Service (NBPLS) to partner to grow the program, bringing a collection of books to store in the provincial library’s expansive and accessible catalogue.

The project was then awarded $25,000 grant from MindCare New Brunswick, a committee of the Board of Directors within the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation that funds programs across the province that promote mental wellness and provide services to those living with mental illness.

As a result of this collaboration, all New Brunswick residents with an N.B. Public Libraries card now have access, at no cost, to English and French books, eBooks, and audiobooks, as well as resources for those with print disabilities.

The grant was used for the purchase of print books in the collection. Ebooks and audiobooks in the project were purchased through other means.

Books in the Healing Books Project are identifiable by a butterfly icon, which appears on the item’s online catalogue record, as well as on a bookplate inside books.

Books are also part of a space within the NBPLS online catalogue called the Mental Health “room.”

Books will be available to borrow through all 63 public libraries in the province and through the New Brunswick Public Libraries provincial online catalogue. Books will also be available through Library Services by Mail.

To learn more about the project, click here.