Growing up near Fish Creek Library, Lindsay Hracs would visit the pyramidal building often. “It’s just somewhere I always gravitated to,” she says.Through university — a bachelor’s and master’s degree in linguistics — Lindsay would travel out of her way to study at the Library. Today, Lindsay is a PhD candidate in linguistics, and Fish Creek Library continues to be an important part of her life.It’s now where Lindsay volunteers with the Library’s Learning Advantage program, helping an adult learner. Over weekly meetups in Fish Creek Library’s breakout rooms, Lindsay and her learner work towards her learner’s goal of attending university.These days, they’re reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and working on information processing. When the pair was matched three years ago, the learner was getting by in daily life but struggling with reading and writing."There’s so much stigma around not having perfect literacy skills that the acknowledgment of needing help is a huge hurdle in itself," Lindsay says.Patricia Stephenson, Learning Advantage Program Coordinator, says people are often shocked to learn how prevalent low literacy rates are. Data from Statistics Canada shows that 17% of adults in Canada are essentially illiterate, scoring at level one or below on a system with five proficiency levels.Through one-on-one coaching and support, volunteers with the free Learning Advantage program help others. Lindsay has seen her learner’s literacy skills — as well as her independence and confidence — blossom.For Lindsay, the meetups have become a favourite part of her week. "When you have a personal connection with someone and you can help them meet their goals, it’s just so worth it," she says.While Lindsay brings a deep interest in language and the mind to the volunteer role, such a background is not necessary."Anyone who has time and enjoys books and reading can do this, and I think they should do it," Lindsay says. "It’s awesome."If you’d like to join the Library’s team of youth or adult volunteers,
Read more about "Stories Meet our Volunteers: Lindsay Hracs Helping others meet their goals inspires Lindsay to volunteer"What will you do? Volunteers help in a creative technology space at Central Library. Volunteers share their own expertise through one-on-one or small group mentoring for teens (ages 13-17). This space supports connected, social learning and is guided by the HOMAGO model (Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out) developed by Dr. Mizuko Ito. An evidence-based approach incorporates research on teen development and learning, and best practices developed by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and its partners. The technology in the room — ranging from sewing machines to robots — is there to support teens' innate creativity and can be used in many ways. The volunteer role is to inspire and engage, and to give teens a positive adult role model — someone who cares about them and what they're interested in and is always willing to lend a hand. The volunteer’s own creative or technology skills are a foundation to build from, but they will find themselves doing a wide variety of activities in this role. Program Length: Three- hour shift maximum What’s in it for you? Develop interpersonal, leadership, problem-solving, communication, and time management skills Gain experience in facilitation Meet new people Have fun and contribute to your community
Read more about "What will you do? What’s in it for you?"Learn new ideas for play by exploring all five senses through movement, play, story, and song.
Read more about "Words and Wiggles"Learn how to download or stream free music, magazines, and films from the E-Library to your device using Libby, Flipster, and Freegal.
Read more about "Download and Enjoy: Music, Magazines, and Film"Are you looking for a job? Learn how to create a professional resumé to put your best foot forward during this online program.
Read more about "Career Basics: Resume Development"Join illustrator Vanja Kragulj and learn how to create your own Owl using cut paper collage techniques.
Read more about "Illustrate With Me: Paper Collage Owl"Artists, community groups, and organizations are invited to submit their work (all mediums including photography) for consideration to be displayed at community libraries. Artwork provides educational and cultural enrichment, encourages lifelong learning, and connects communities. Display space is available without charge. Preference is given to artists who live or work in Calgary. Selected artists are given one-month showings.
Read more about "Bring beauty to the Library"Volunteer Qualifications Junior and senior high school students (Grade 7 to Grade 12) Reliable, a positive attitude, good literacy and computer technology skills, and enjoy working with younger children Coding knowledge is a bonus but not a requirement Volunteer Responsibilities Attend volunteer training and orientation session Be a positive role model for participants Follow the guidelines set out by the program coordinators Ensure that the participants have an enjoyable learning experience
Read more about "Volunteer Qualifications Volunteer Responsibilities"Offered in Mandarin. Are you diagnosed with prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes and not sure about what to eat? Do you want to learn about what to eat to prevent diabetes? Come learn...
Read more about "Healthy Living: Tips for Eating: Prediabetes and Diabetes - in Mandarin"Offered in Punjabi. Are you diagnosed with prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes and not sure about what to eat? Do you want to learn about what to eat to prevent diabetes? Come learn...
Read more about "Healthy Living: Tips for Eating: Prediabetes and Diabetes - in Punjabi"Join the Library, Indigenous drum groups, and dancers from Treaty 7 to learn about the different dances performed at a powwow. You’ll also learn about protocols and what to expect if you’ve never attended a powwow before.
Read more about "Powwow Trail 101"Join the Library, Indigenous drum groups, and dancers from Treaty 7 to learn about the different dances performed at a powwow. You'll also learn about protocols and what to expect...
Read more about "Powwow Trail 101 - Kainai Powwow Demonstration"Did you know that sensory play lays an important foundation for your child’s learning? It encourages brain development, open-ended thinking, fine motor skill building, and even language learning. We’ve rounded up our favourite sensory activities for busy toddlers who like active play — all you need are a few household objects to get them moving and exploring.Spider’s WebWeave string, ribbon, or scarves through a laundry basket and place stuffed animals or toys at the bottom of the basket. Place the basket on its side and let your little one explore. Can they get all the toys out? This activity helps babies and toddlers build motor control and spatial awareness as they navigate their hands through the “spider’s web” to reach the objects. Be sure to supervise them. StackingFor this activity, all you need are some blocks, plastic cups, or any toddler-friendly object that they can stack. Through stacking play, your child is discovering shapes, learning how blocks can be balanced, observing how they fall, and discovering what fits together. See if you can build a tower together — but knocking it over is the best part! Explore MusicMaking music is the perfect way to get active if you’re stuck inside. If you don’t have toddler-friendly instruments available, you can make your own drums or shakers from a variety of different household objects including coffee cans, rice or beans in a bottle, pots and pans, even cardboard boxes. This kind of musical play teaches rhythm, spontaneous movement, and promotes both fine and gross motor skills. Enjoy trying these active play ideas with your busy toddler! Want even more great early literacy activities you can do at home? Be sure to check out our Library at Home section for more resources like these.Not yet a member? Sign up online for your free Library card and start using it immediately with our Digital Library resources.
Read more about "Stories Three Indoor Sensory Play Ideas for Active Toddlers"Helping your school-age child with their science lessons at home? Check out our curated list of free digital resources from our Digital Library to help supplement their study sessions, keep their hands busy with science experiments, or spark their curiosity with fascinating science topics they’ll want to learn more about. Use your free Library membership to access these great apps and resources. No Library card? No problem. Sign up for free online and start using it now. Flipster Flipster is a platform for reading digital magazines that can be accessed on most devices. It offers a wide variety of magazines, including educational magazines for kids. Try searching these magazine titles: Is your child crazy about pandas, lions, or other zoo animals? Check out the Zoobooks digital magazine for full issues to satisfy their current animal obsession. (Ages 8 – 12) Make learning exciting with Brainspace, an augmented reality science and technology magazine for kids. Your child can make the articles come to life through interactive elements that can be unlocked on each page using a smartphone or tablet. Discover articles on scientific topics in other fun and educational magazines kids love to read, like Owl, Kayak, and Faces. PressReader PressReader gives you unlimited access to digital editions of newspapers and magazines from around the world. Find issues of popular science magazines for kids. They can explore animals from all over the globe in Wild and Canadian Geographic Kids, or discover the world of innovation, science, and technology in Whiz. National Geographic Kids National Geographic Kids is a database of articles, photos, videos, and eBooks for kids filled with interesting facts and information about our world. Explore the Science and Tech section to watch videos and read books about all kinds of cool topics, like robots, natural disasters, and outer space. World Book Online for Kids World Book Online for Kids is an online learning platform developed for young users. Children can explore a variety of topics in easy-to-read articles, images, and videos. You can also solve puzzles while learning fun facts. For young scientists who learn by doing, it also has easy science experiments you can do at home. Why do airplanes fly? How does temperature affect motion? Use the super-simple Science Project section to find out. (Ages 6 – 8) Your beginner baker can explore the science of yeast with this easy kitchen experiment. Once you log in to World Book Online for Kids, choose Science Projects and then Microscopic Life. All you’ll need is a cookie sheet, some water, a spoon, and a lamp to get a hands-on look at how bats use sound to see. Go to Science Projects > How bats use sound to find this activity. (Ages 8 – 12) What's your favourite animal? Discover where they live, what they eat, and how they sleep with the World of Animals section. (Ages 5 – 9) Kanopy Kids Kanopy is a free movie and TV streaming app with a section just for kids. Your children can watch their favourite cartoon characters and educational shows from any device. Season 3 of Science Max brings concepts like gravity, friction, and hydraulics to life in fun videos. Tune in to see an antacid rocket, a pumpkin drop, a mousetrap boat, and air surfing. (Ages 8 –12) Science Reference Centre The Science Reference Centre lets kids learn about famous scientists and research topics in applied sciences, biology, chemistry, earth science, energy, and astronomy, and offers great curriculum support for teachers. Looking for science experiment ideas? Check out their selection of science experiment books by searching for titles such as Science Experiments with Food and full-text experiment guides like the Egg in a Bottle experiment. Gale Virtual Reference Library eBooks Online Find full-text eBooks for learners of all ages in the Gale Virtual Reference Library on subjects including coding, business, science, and travel. Kids love DK Eyewitness books. They cover a range of topics, like animals, history, geography, weather, technology, and more. No need to place a hold; you can start reading them right away!
Read more about "Stories Science eResources for ages 6 – 12"More Indigenous language resources, as well as programming that preserves Indigenous culture and heritage, will soon be available at the Calgary Public Library. The Indigenous Languages Resource Centre will help protect, preserve, and promote Indigenous culture, thanks to $1 million in funding from the Government of Alberta.Located at Central Library, this will be the third centre of its kind in Canada, where anyone, with their free Library card, can access language learning, storytelling, elder guidance, and other materials.The project, which builds connections, supports lifelong learning and deepens understanding of community, is launching at the same time the United Nations declared 2019 as the Year of Indigenous Languages.“The Calgary Public Library is thrilled to acknowledge and support the United Nations’ 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages theme,” said Alayna Many Guns, Indigenous Service Design Lead for the Library. “Language nurtures identity, enhances spirit, and most importantly improves communication amongst families and communities.”More information about programming in the Indigenous Languages Resource Centre will be announced soon.
Read more about "Stories Indigenous Languages Resource Centre to be created at Central Library"