YELLOWKNIFE (September 24, 2013) – Recipients of the Council of the Federation Literacy Award and the Ministerial Literacy Awards were honoured today during the annual Adult Learners’ Luncheon in Yellowknife.

The awards, created by the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment in 2002 and the Council of the Federation in 2005, recognize adult learners who have overcome learning and literacy challenges or championed literacy to learners of all ages.

The award recipients for 2013:

Bertha Goulet - Council of the Federation Literacy Award is given to an adult learner who has overcome obstacles and demonstrated outstanding progress in the pursuit of literacy skills in any of the NWT official languages.

Kathleen Taylor - The Ministerial Literacy Award is given to NWT youth learners (ages 16 to 25) who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to their own literacy development and who have been role models for other youth.

Simone Gessler and Rachel Gauthier - The Ministerial Literacy Award is given to NWT teachers, tutors or literacy facilitators, who have demonstrated an outstanding dedication to literacy.

Tuktoyaktuk Public Library - The Ministerial Literacy Award is given to NWT organizations, literacy committees or programs which have advocated for literacy and improved literacy levels in their communities. 

The awards luncheon, provided by Aurora College and hosted by the NWT Literacy Council, is a highlight of NWT Literacy Week.  It is supported by funding from the Department of Education Culture and Employment.  (recipient bio and backgrounder added below)

For more information, please contact:                  

Ashley Green
Public Affairs Officer
Education, Culture and Employment
Phone: (867) 920-3059
Email: ashley_green@gov.nt.ca

Backgrounder

Northwest Territories Recipients Honoured During Literacy Week

There are 4 Literacy Awards given out each year in the Northwest Territories (NWT).

The awards are advertised throughout the NWT using print media, emails, radio ads and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) website. Once the nomination deadline has passed, a Ministerial Literacy Awards Selection Committee is formed of literacy experts from both the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) and Non-government Organizations (NGO), to choose the winners. Nominees are scored using scoring templates, and the highest scoring nominees receive the awards.

Bertha Goulet - Council of the Federation (CoF) Literacy Award. Announced earlier this summer, this is a special medallion awarded by the Council of the Federation in each of Canada’s thirteen provinces and territories to celebrate outstanding literacy achievements. The award is customarily presented to an adult learner. Ms. Goulet is a mother of four from the community of N’dilo. She recently returned to school after many years and has just completed the eight-month “Believe in Yourself” program, which is a first step towards pursuing post-secondary education. This program is run through the N’dilo Community Learning Centre, operated by Aurora College.  Ms. Goulet is a leader in the classroom and a role model in her community, and always encourages her peers to do their best and pursue their goals. Despite her many family and work obligations, she maintained a perfect attendance record for all of her courses this past year. In recognition of her outstanding success in her studies, she was chosen as this year’s class valedictorian. Ms. Goulet plans to continue her education and pursue a career in the health field.

Kathleen Taylor - The Ministerial Literacy Award (Youth Learner).  This award celebrates a young adult’s commitment to literacy and honours their literacy achievements. Ms. Taylor received the highest mark in her Grade 12 English class this past year and has made great strides in pursuit of improving her literacy skills, especially through poetry. With her positive outlook and passion for writing, Ms. Taylor is a leader among her peers and in the community.

Simone Gessler and Rachel Gauthier - The Ministerial Literacy Award (Educator). This award honours outstanding practitioners in the field of literacy. This year’s recipients are two exceptional educators at Weledeh Catholic School in Yellowknife. Ms. Gessler’s and Ms. Gauthier’ strong leadership and dedication to literacy have been evident in the school, the community and internationally. They have implemented a data driven literacy support program, called “Response to Intervention,” that not only addresses the needs of students who struggle with reading but challenges the entire student body in a relevant and interactive three tiered approach. They attended the International Reading Association Conference last year where they were asked to present their program model. As a result of their efforts, 70% of students are now reading at or above grade level and 100% of students improved their reading skills.

Tuktoyaktuk Public Library - The Ministerial Literacy Award (Organizations). This award recognizes a group’s exceptional dedication to promoting and enhancing literacy in one or more of the NWT’s eleven official languages. The Tuktoyaktuk Public Library has successfully created programs that engage the entire community, from toddlers to Elders, including baking, craft, sewing, games, science, storytelling and technology. The staff work closely with the local school to deliver literacy programming and materials to students as well, such as homework help sessions. This has played a major role in developing the literacy skills of the community and the majority of community members now regularly visit the library.