Delivered on Tuesday, June 2, 2026
For adult literacy learners, financial literacy is about learning everyday money skills for work, family life, and the community.
During this session, guest presenters Jennifer, Janet and Audrey shared how they developed and delivered successful financial literacy programs in their community. Through real‑world examples and practical applications, participants explored what works, why it works, and how to adapt these approaches for their own context. Participants left with actionable tips and ready‑to‑use resources they could apply right away.
PRESENTATION SLIDES
Please note: Resources discussed and shared in the chat during the session have been added to the presentation (page 35).
VIDEO RECORDING
Video with ASL interpretation coming soon.
PRESENTERS
Jennifer began volunteering with the Midland Area Reading Council (MARC) in 2004, before it became the Gateway Centre for Learning. What started as volunteer work grew into a lasting commitment to the organization and its community. She has served as a Small Group Instructor, Student Tutor Coordinator, and Adult Program Coordinator, and now leads as Executive Director. For more than 20 years, Jennifer has championed Gateway’s mission with steady leadership and a strong belief in the power of learning. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, cooking, reading, and yoga.
With over 30 years of experience in financial services and taxation, Janet has always been dedicated to supporting individuals and communities. She has served as a CVITP Tax Clinic Coordinator for over 20 years and held the role of Financial Literacy Project Manager at NWALC, where she developed various financial workshops. Janet is also an active member of the Niagara Financial Empowerment Network.
Audrey has worked with community organizations, unions, libraries and colleges to design and deliver adult literacy programs for over 25 years. She created a critical financial literacy course called ‘Me, My Phone and Money’ for the IBEW Local 353 Pathway Pre-Apprenticeship training program, which she has been teaching for the past three years. Audrey has a Ph.D. in Adult Education & Community Development from the University of Toronto.
Explore the The Virtual Showcase Collection to see what happened in past sessions.
Delivered on Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Google Sites, included with both personal and organizational Gmail accounts, allows you to quickly create and edit web pages without coding or advanced technical skills required. During this session, guest presenters Kristi, Marissa, Brandy and Jordan shared how they used Google Sites to build their organizational, resource and event websites. Participants explored real-world examples and gained practical tips they could apply right away.
PRESENTATION SLIDES
VIDEO RECORDING
Video with ASL interpretation coming soon.
PRESENTERS
Brandy joined the literacy field after working in libraries for many years including Kingston Frontenac Public Library, Queen’s University Teacher Resource Centre and Brockville Public Library. Brandy is dedicated to social justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. She has received an Ally Award for her work with Brockville Pride and recognition from the Every Kid in Our Community committee as a Youth Asset Builder. She enjoys spending time with her family and cats, and reading is her sport.
Marissa made the move from nursing into education in 2018, where she found a passion for teaching science and math in the Get SET program and supporting learners on their path to post-secondary success. In August 2023, Marissa stepped into her role as Executive Director of the Network, where she continues to grow and support Get SET agencies and the Northeastern communities. With experience in both service delivery and leadership, Marissa truly enjoys helping providers navigate an ever-changing landscape. She calls Northern Ontario home, and outside of work, she is a proud mom of two who loves camping, hunting, fishing, and sneaking in a little travel whenever she can.
First and foremost, Kristi is a mom of 2 pretty awesome humans, and has a great husband who puts up with her and her shenanigans…secretly, I think he loves it too!! Kristi is the Executive Director of Atikokan Literacy Inc., which up until about 2 years ago consisted of only The Adult Learning Centre but now has The Gathering Place and The Once More Store under its umbrella! The centre is a space to cultivate wellness through arts, education, health and unity! She truly loves what she does and is excited to see what is coming!
Explore the The Virtual Showcase Collection to see what happened in past sessions.
Delivered on Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has evolved significantly since we first explored its potential in Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) programs a year ago. With new tools emerging and existing ones becoming more sophisticated, the ways we use AI have also transformed. So, what’s happening now?
During the session, guests from the literacy community shared how they actively integrate AI into their programs. From prompt engineering to creating graphics and videos, to developing training materials, we dove into how AI is reshaping our work—and what that means for educators, staff, and learners alike.
ASL interpretation was be provided.
PRESENTATION SLIDES
VIDEO RECORDING
NOTE: VIDEO WITH ASL INTERPRETATION COMING SOON
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
PRESENTERS
Lisa McArthur has been working as an adult educator since 2003 in a variety of capacities. They include, but are not limited to, being a certified educational skills assessor, a family literacy facilitator and certified Clear Writing consultant. Lisa has sat on a number of community advisory committees and has evaluated numerous literacy projects.
Ryan Pike is an adult literacy instructor who has taught at the Labour Education Centre in Toronto for 11 years. He also worked with Metro Toronto Movement for Literacy (MTML) on the Smartphones and Employment Skills project, helping to design learning tools that support adults using smartphones for work. He’s passionate about making technology feel less intimidating and more empowering for adult learners. Ryan enjoys experimenting with different digital tools and approaches to create engaging, interactive resources that make learning accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
Richard has dedicated 21 years to the Toronto District School Board, currently working at the Mimico Adult Centre. His work focuses on providing literacy education to adults seeking academic upgrading, as well as supporting individuals with special needs. Through instruction in English, math, and digital learning, Richard empowers learners to achieve greater independence and pursue their personal and educational goals
Explore the The Virtual Showcase Collection to see what happened in past sessions.
Delivered on Tuesday, September 30, 2025
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed many literacy programs to rapidly shift their lessons and training into online environments, sparking a surge in interest around Learning Management Systems (LMS). But where do we stand now?
During the session guests from the literacy community shared the tools and platforms that have helped them make their content accessible to learners, tutors, and staff, discussed what’s worked (and what hasn’t), and offered practical tips and insights for programs considering—or reconsidering—their digital strategy.
PRESENTATION SLIDES
VIDEO RECORDINGS
In English, Speaker view only.
With ASL interpretation
PRESENTERS
Randie is a Program Manager for Almaguin Adult Learning Centre (AALC), a community based LBS agency with 3 centres serving 17 small communities across the Almaguin Highlands. She joined AALC in 2010 as a literacy instructor and has been committed to life long learning and meeting learners where they are for the last 15 years.
Lisa McArthur has been working as an adult educator since 2003 in a variety of capacities. They include, but are not limited to, being a certified educational skills assessor, a family literacy facilitator and certified Clear Writing consultant. Lisa has sat on a number of community advisory committees and has evaluated numerous literacy projects.
Stephanie has been teaching in post-secondary and Academic Upgrading for close to 15 years. She has a Master of Science, a Bachelor of Education and is a member of the Ontario College of Teachers. She is an avid curriculum developer for online, hybrid and in person courses in all subject areas.
Lea Roque is a passionate educator and early adopter of technology, with a strong background in adult education, engineering design, and tech training. She specializes in designing engaging, learner-centered curriculum and has taught in LBS, post-secondary, and corporate settings. Known for her supportive approach and enthusiasm for digital skill-building, Lea thrives on helping learners reach their “Aha!” moments that spark confidence and curiosity.
Althea Balmes (she/ they) co-creates in person and digital projects at the intersection of visual storytelling, UX design and learner-centered education. Althea has a background in community adult literacy previously working at Parkdale Project Read and with West TO Collaborative, a collective of five different adult literacy organizations across Toronto west end providing tutor training program.
www.altheabalmes.com
Tina is the LBS Lead Instructor at Niagara Catholic District School Board. She is involved in classroom/hybrid teaching and administrative duties at St. Catharines & Niagara Falls locations.
Explore the The Virtual Showcase Collection to see what happened in past sessions.
Delivered on Tuesaday, June 3, 2025
With high turnover, effective succession, contingency and onboarding documentation/planning are crucial for the sustainability and resilience of LBS programs.
During the session, guests from the literacy community discussed what they have been doing and shared tools and examples to help participants develop practical file management systems, documentation and plans to ensure smoother operations, staff transitions and the continuity of programs in the face of unexpected challenges.
Insightful tips and best practices were shared to help participants create robust organizational documentation/plans and processes, and provide space to share various examples and ideas.
PRESENTATION SLIDES
VIDEO RECORDING
SHARED RESOURCES
Orientation to Literacy and Basic Skills for Regional Literacy Networks from Literacy Link Eastern Ontario
Hiring in Adult Training from Learning Ontario Central South
Human Resources and Succession Planning Toolkits
Living Manual Example (Google Doc)
Living Manual Example (Force Copy)
PRESENTERS
Carrie Wakeford has been the Executive Director of Learning Ontario Central South (LOCS) for the past 5 years. Prior to coming to LOCS, Carrie was self employed designing and facilitating in person and online training. She also completed research and managed projects for the ministry and for LBS, employment organizations and the Workforce Development Board. Carrie also provided individual career counselling and taught in the Career Development Practitioner program at Conestoga College. In 2019 Carrie won the ‘Outstanding Career Professional Award’ with Career Professionals of Canada. Prior to that she worked in computer training and she managed an employment counselling organization.
Brandy is the Executive Director at Literacy Link Eastern Ontario (LLEO) and she still considers herself new in this position after 2 years. Brandy joined the literacy field after working in libraries for many years including Kingston Frontenac Public Library, Queen’s University Teacher Resource Centre and Brockville Public Library. Brandy is dedicated to social justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. She has received an Ally Award for her work with Brockville Pride and recognition from the Every Kid in Our Community committee as a Youth Asset Builder. She enjoys spending time with her family and cats, and reading is her sport.
Melanie is the Program Coordinator and Academic Advisor for Academic Upgrading at Algonquin College Pembroke Campus. She has worked in various spaces including twenty years in early literacy, 5 years in Employment Services and Ontario Works and the last 5 years in Academic Upgrading. If not spending time in nature with her partner, Josh, she is probably training her cats to walk on a leash … yes, really. Melanie believes that, like chefs, ‘slow is smooth and smooth is fast’ (Work Clean by Dan Charnas) and works to bring processes that will create smoothness for all team members into her daily work.
Alan has been the Executive Director of AlphaPlus since 2015, but his involvement with the organization dates to its founding. As a leader in the literacy field with comprehensive knowledge of the affordances and limitations of educational and administrative uses of technology, Alan advances an understanding of information literacy and blended learning that moves the field forward. He guides the team’s work with adult learning programs to understand, research, plan and integrate emerging digital tools to meet the needs of staff and learners effectively and creatively.
Bio coming soon.
Presenters from two programs share how they are using Microsoft OneNote to organize and manage learner files. Sara King from Northern College and Christa Porter from Gateway Centre for Learning demonstrate ways OneNote helps them keep all their learner forms and files in one place making it easy to access, replicate and share with others.
Sara and Christa shared some resources with us:
- Folder with exported OneNote Notebooks
Download the files to your OneDrive (Documents) and try to open in OneNote. MS help instructions
Tip: Christa used Windows 10 option to open the files.
If that fails, contact Sara and/or Christa to share their OneNote notebooks with you via links.
AlphaPlus creates microsites for programs.
- Are you a program administrator looking for resources to support professional learning for staff or volunteers?
- Are you a literacy instructor looking for resources to support a blended learning program?
We curate program-specific collections of resources. Here are some examples:
- Digital resources for personalized learning
- Digital technology readiness for post-secondary education
- Foundational digital tech skills lessons
- Learn to code
- Numeracy resources
- Smart Board training
If you’re interested in curating a collection for your program, please get in touch.
- AlphaPlus coaches will work with you to create an individualized plan and develop solutions for your program.
- As an Educator Network (eNet) participant, you’ll join a cohort of Ontario literacy practitioners in a reflective practice process and have access to both AlphaPlus knowledge and peer experience.
- If you get stuck while trying something new, the AlphaPlus Quick Tech Help option can help.
If you’d like a copy of any of these sites to use as a starting point to adapt and expand for use in your program, please get in touch. AlphaPlus can give you a copy and support you in learning how to use a website builder such as Google Sites or Weebly as online learning spaces for learners, staff and volunteers.
The role of resource curation is an important one and can be overwhelming and time consuming.
AlphaPlus developed this site to help literacy practitioners
- develop curation strategies
- work with learners to develop curation strategies
- adapt literacy learning starter kits
There are three sections.
- Curating Resources
- Tips on finding and choosing resources to use with learners and co-learning resources for working with learners on curation strategies.
- Curated Lists
- Lists created by literacy programs and other educators. This set of learning resources can be a starter kit for literacy practitioners curating a set of literacy learning resources.
- Places to Learn
- e-Learning lessons, activities and learning pathways that literacy learners can work on independently. The resources are organized by topic. This set of learning resources can be a starter kit for learners curating their own set of literacy learning resources.
If you’d like to learn more about curating resources, contact Tracey, sign up for an Educator Network program or sign up for one-to-one support through Coaching.
- As an Educator Network participant, you’ll join a cohort of Ontario literacy practitioners in a reflective practice process and have access to both AlphaPlus knowledge and peer experience.
- AlphaPlus coaches will work with you to create an individualized plan and develop digital learning solutions for the learners in your program.
- If you get stuck while trying something new, the AlphaPlus Quick Tech Help option can help.
If you’d like a copy of this site to use as a starting point to adapt and expand for use in your program, please get in touch. AlphaPlus can give you a copy and support you in learning how to use a website builder such as Google Sites or Weebly as online learning spaces for learners, staff and volunteers.
A website is a great way to communicate with volunteers, learners and others in your community about what you’re doing and how to access your program, process some of the administration forms, and curate resource collections for staff, learners and volunteers.
Here are some sites that AlphaPlus coaches have supported:
- TLG Learner Resources, The Literacy Group of Waterloo Region
- Learning Opportunities Program, YMCA (Toronto)
- Metro Toronto Movement for Literacy
- The Orillia and District Literacy Council
- The Learning Co-Op, St. Joseph Adult Education Campus, Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board
AlphaPlus can help you choose a website builder and guide you through the website planning and creation process.
We can:
- Provide you with information about the attributes of each website builder.
- Guide you through the decision-making process to ensure you find the solution that best meets your circumstances and needs.
- Support you as you learn how to create pages and use the management features that work best for the learners, staff and volunteers in your program.
Do you have access to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 and are you wondering how to take advantage of all the features?
AlphaPlus can help you choose and learn about a productivity suite that will work best for your program.
We can:
- Provide you with information about the attributes of each suite.
- Guide you through the decision-making process to ensure you find the solution that best meets your circumstances and needs.
- Support you as you learn how to use the features that work best for the learners, staff and volunteers in your program.
Here are some examples of how AlphaPlus coaches work with programs on finding solutions: