Blog

Each year NWTLC staff recommend books that we have read through the last year, books we are planning to give as gifts this holiday season, and books we hope to read over our holiday. We have a mix of children’s books, non-fiction, biographies, fiction and more. Check out all three of our blogs in December to find great book suggestions. This week we focus on books for gifts that keep giving. For… Read more.

The NWT Literacy Council, in partnership with the Yukon Literacy Coalition and Ilitaqsiniq- the Nunavut Literacy Council, has begun the process of developing the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy program (YESS). This is a federally funded program designed to help youth from the ages of 15 to 30 develop their skills and enter meaningful employment. Our three organizations met in Vancouver… Read more.

In March 2021, we began our very successful Reading Together program at the North Slave Correctional Centre (NSCC). Throughout the program, and in feedback after, we heard from many of the fathers that they would love the opportunity to send their children Christmas gifts. We agreed that this would be a great time to continue the program and were excited to head back to NSCC this fall.… Read more.

Post-secondary education might still seem like a far-off milestone in your child’s life, but it is never too early to start saving! The Government of Canada has set aside money to help make post-secondary education more affordable for all Canadians, and the NWT Literacy Council is committed to raising awareness of this program and supporting families in signing up so as many children as possible… Read more.

With all schools in Yellowknife, Ndilo, Dettah and Behchokǫ̀ closed and all children’s extra-curricular activities cancelled, families are thinking about the many days at home and how to pass the time together. As a parent at home with my three- and five-year-olds, I’ve been trying to think of activities we can do. I decided to revisit a blog post I wrote last year, hoping it helps other families… Read more.

Most instructors and students who experienced the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 academic years will remember these years. They’ll pass their stories down to future generations. "When I was your age …", "Remember when … ". Much like the current stories about the Spanish flu of 1918. In March 2020, college and university life everywhere changed dramatically from face-to-face learning to online learning… Read more.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful NWT Literacy Week this year! It was great to see all of the creative ways that communities celebrated the week with our theme of Literacy on the Land. NWTLC hosted two territory-wide events, outdoor events in Yellowknife, and provided funding and prizes for events in communities around the NWT. Our NWT-wide photo contest had 59 entries, and showed off so… Read more.

I’ve recently started transitioning from my role as Family and Community Literacy Coordinator to the role of Youth Literacy Coordinator, and I’m learning lots about the Skills Builders for Youth (SBY) program and all of the great projects happening around the territory. Each year the NWT Literacy Council hosts SBY training. Participants from around the NWT learn about the nine essential skills… Read more.

When I organize activities for new immigrants, I try to introduce them to uniquely northern experiences.  In late March, Narwal Outdoor Adventures did seven show-and-tell sessions on northern topics, including igloo building, northern animals, and harvesting furs, for almost 60 adults and children.  Here are some of the reflections from the immigrants who participated. Duyen, who came from… Read more.

We are looking forward to NWT Literacy Week April 11-17! This year the theme is Literacy on the Land, and we encourage NWT residents to spend time learning outside. Being on the land uses many literacies and provides many learning opportunities. Some ideas for events and activities during the week are: Hosting cultural activities on the land and encouraging participants to practice your… Read more.