Comox Valley Lifelong Learning Centre
1507A McPhee Avenue 3A6 Courtenay, BC, Canada

Make sure to check out all the books Laughing Oyster Bookshop is featuring for Black History Month before the month ends! See the full list of titles on their website here: https://www.laughingoysterbooks.com/

Ready for some amazing live Jazz? Join BC Black History Awareness Society to celebrate music during Black History Month with Pablo Cárdenas Friday, February 26th at 7:00 PM Links Below for the live stream! "In a career spanning more than 60 years, Canadian jazz pianist and composer Oscar Peterson released over 200 recordings, won eight Grammy Awards, and received numerous other awards and honours. He is considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time and contin...ues to inspire and challenge new generations of jazz musicians. The sensational Cuban pianist Pablo Cárdenas brings his top trio and reproduces many of Oscar’s most famous and beloved performances. On the line up Rob Johnson on bass, Cyril Lojda on drums." Access this Live Stream Event at: Hermann's Jazz Club Facebook page https://www.youtube.com/c/HermannsJazzClubLive https://hermannsjazz.com/show/533169/view https://vimeo.com/hermannsjazz

For all the book lovers out there, check out CBC's list of featured black authors on the hot list for 2021 https://www.cbc.ca//6-black-canadian-writers-to-watch-in-2

Calling all teachers! On February 17th, 5:00 PM The University of British Columbia will host a webinar about supporting and representing black educations in British Columbia. "As educators we need to strive to provide conducive working environments, learning experiences, and advancing opportunities. Recruiting, supporting, and retaining Black educators in the teaching profession in BC is also critical. Join us in learning about approaches that will help underscore your commit...ment to equity and addressing anti-Black racism in education." -UBC https://educ.ubc.ca/supporting-and-representing-black-educ/

Looking for a book to read with your kids this Family Day? Check out 'Movers, Shakers, History Makers: The Canadian Black History Book of Rhymes' by Akilah Newton. Link Below! This book is designed for elementary-school-age readers and their families. "The rhyming educational verses have a storytelling flow, not too different from poet Amanda Gorman's style that captivated many at Joe Biden's presidential inauguration." CTVNews... Kids need to see mirrors of them. People that look like them doing jobs they want to do so they can go on and dream these big dreams and accomplish greatness. Because if they see someone doing something they want to do that look like them, they'll know that it's possible. For me, to start young, we're shaping the minds of the future leaders of tomorrow. -Akilah Newton ( Akilah Newton Projects ) Find this and other books at https://www.bigdreamers.ca/

Get ready for another great online event! On February 20th at 1:00pm, the BC Black History Awareness Society presents, The Fifth Element with legendary Hip Hop Photographer and member of the Hip Hop Hall of Fame, Ernie Paniccioli! Link below.... "Learn the rich history of the 5 Elements, and of the lands we live on today. This is the 5 Elements of Hip Hop program where we will dive in and explore each of the five elements: Knowledge, Djing/Lyricism, Breakdancing/African dance..., and Graffiti. Our goal is to use Hip Hop pedagogy to embed themes of identity, power, resistance and creativity in the sessions to re-engage Black and Indigenous youth in this society. Register in advance for this online event. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event. The first element is Knowledge where we will uncover black Victoria, Indigenous land awareness; followed by special guest speaker, Ernie Paniccioli, legendary Hip Hop Photographer and member of the Hip Hop Hall of Fame." https://us02web.zoom.us//tZUld-qopzwpGdMmacRlbv1DgxDmpLieA

September 30, 2020 is Orange Shirt Day . For this occasion the Comox Valley Lifelong Learning Centre has teamed up with Lake Trail Community Education Society, VI Regional Library Courtenay in creating a special Orange Shirt Day - Every Child Matters Story Walk. We have taken Phyllis Webstad's book Phyllis's Orange Shirt and posted it along a path through the forest behind Lake Trail Middle School in Roy Stewart Morrison Nature Park. "Collaborative artworks made by the... students will also be installed and will express and represent the kids’ feelings around the story and the history of residential schools in Canada. At the end of the walk, students will gather and meet with an Elder from the community who will speak to them about these events from our past and answer questions." -My Comox Valley Now The Art and Story Walk will also open to the public as a self-guided walk on Thursday, October 1st from 2:00 pm 5:00 pm. . . . #orangeshirtday2020 #PhyllissOrangeShirt #OrangeShirtDay #EveryChildMatters #ComoxValley #StoryWalk #CVStoryWalk . . Decoda Literacy Solutions Comox Valley Schools Indigenous Education - Comox Valley Schools - SD#71 Cumberland Community Schools Society Cumberland Community School VI Regional Library Cumberland VI Regional Library Comox Comox Valley Record Newsroom 98.9 Jet FM 97.3 The Eagle Whats On Digest Comox Valley Comox Valley Buzz Discover Comox Valley Comox Valley Events

Today is the last day of the Comox Valley Raise-a-Reader Event and it seems to us to be the perfect day to announce our collaboration with the Comox Valley Life...long Learning Centre! We have counted 92 books sold since we opened in July (wowza, thank you Uplifter's shoppers!!!) Our 'buy a book, give a book program' will benefit their good work. Bring on the books!!!! https://www.cvllc.ca/raiseareader

On our last day of Raise a Reader for 2020, we are so thrilled to announce that a new collaboration with Uplifters Shop in Downtown Courtenay! Working together we hope to bring books to families all across the Comox Valley! Look for more updates coming next week as we launch more programs into the Fall. . . . .... . #mycomoxvalley #cumberlandbc #courtenaybc #comoxbc #raiseareader #postmedia #comoxvalleyevents #comoxvalleykids #comoxvalleyfamilies #vancouverisland #northisland #explorelocal #lifelonglearning #litteracymatters #decodaliteracy #comoxvalleylifelonglearningcentre #readwithme . . . . Comox Valley Raise a Reader City of Courtenay Town of Comox Rotary Club of Comox Valley Rotary Club of Comox United Way Central & Northern Vancouver Island Comox Valley Father Involvement Network Comox Valley Schools VI Regional Library Courtenay VI Regional Library Cumberland VI Regional Library Comox Learn Comox Valley See more

We are very happy to announce another Story Walk has been set up! Come and visit #6 Mine Park in Cumberland to read 'Hidden Friends' by Kimberly Kakegamic. Enjoy this beautiful fall weather by bringing your family out for a stroll and enjoy reading together in nature. Remember to hashtag #CVStoryWalk for a chance to be entered into a prize drawing! Visit https://www.cvllc.ca/story-walk to see our full list of Story Walk locations. . . . .... . #CVStoryWalk #mycomoxvalley #cumberlandbc #courtenaybc #comoxbc #storywalk #comoxvalleyevents #comoxvalleykids #comoxvalleyfamilies #vancouverisland #northisland #explorelocal #lifelonglearning #litteracymatters #decodaliteracy #comoxvalleylifelonglearningcentre #readwithme #comoxvalleyrecreation See more

Sponsoring Comox Valley Raise a Reader helps us at the Comox Valley Lifelong Learning Centre help families through a variety of different initiatives like our Family Literacy bags. In April 2020 we carefully prepared and tailored Family Literacy bags to meet the needs of families in the Comox Valley. In true community fashion, not for profit organizations and community members came together to ensure that as many families as we could reach received support and awareness th...at programming continued to be available to them. We love helping families and encouraging reading together but we couldn’t do it alone. Sending out a great big thank you to. Comox Valley Family Services Assn Valley Child Comox Valley Child Development Association Comox Valley Transition Society Pacificcare - CCRR Program Aboriginal Speech-Language Program: Upper Island Women of Native Ancestry Work BC Courtenay Rotary Club of Comox First Book Canada Too Good To Be Threw City of Courtenay Lewis Centre 4 Corners 97.3 The Eagle Courtenay Community Thrift Store Thrifty Foods McDonald's Children's Health Foundation of Vancouver Island Comox Valley Regional District and Ministry of Children and Family Development Click here to sponsor Raise a Reader this year! https://www.cvllc.ca/raiseareader

Help us in creating something AMAZING for the Comox Valley by donating to the Community Book Bike fund. Click here to donate! https://cvllc.ca/community-bookbike Every year the Comox Valley Lifelong Learning Centre creates fun and engaging programming to keep kids active and learning. This year we have decided to put forth a new, exciting and innovative program to reach children in the valley and help inspire and ignite their love of reading: a Community Book Bike. Powered ...by literacy loving volunteers, we are hoping to launch the Community Book Bike this fall. The bike will carry trailers filled with free books for kids, all packaged and sanitized ready to give away to families right in their neighborhoods. We are reaching out for donations to help us get this program and our bikes, rolling! Help us with this super fun program because #literacymatters now more than ever! . . . . #bikemobile #communitybookbike #mycomoxvalley #cumberlandbc #courtenaybc #comoxbc #comoxvalleyevents #comoxvalleykids #comoxvalleyfamilies #sd71 #comoxvalleykids #vancouverisland #northisland #explorelocal #discovercomoxvalley #lifelonglearning #litteracymatters #decodaliteracy #comoxvalleylifelonglearningcentre #readwithme #comoxvalleyrecreation #decodaliteracy #raiseareader #lifelonglearning #nonprofit #britishcolumbia #vancoverislandregionallibrary #comoxvalleynonprofit #comoxvalleyvolunteers #literacynow #nonprofit #readingtogether . . . . See more

With such positive feedback from the community, the Comox Valley Lifelong Learning Centre has added brand new stories to the Story Walk trails! #CVStoryWalk is a self guided story in nature that you and your family can come to anytime. This FREE activity will take you along some of the Comox Valley's most loved trails and parks where we have posted stories along the way so you and your family can read together in nature. Use the hashtag #CVStoryWalk on social media with a... photo of you enjoying the installation for a chance to win prizes! So come out and get inspired by nature, read something together and have fun! A generous thank you to First Credit Union for sponsoring Story Walk! Visit our website https://cvllc.ca/story-walk for more information on the trails and to learn more about how the Comox Valley Lifelong Learning Centre serves the community! . . . . . #CVStoryWalk #mycomoxvalley #cumberlandbc #courtenaybc #comoxbc #storywalk #comoxvalleyevents #comoxvalleykids #comoxvalleyfamilies #vancouverisland #northisland #explorelocal #lifelonglearning #litteracymatters #decodaliteracy #comoxvalleylifelonglearningcentre #readwithme #comoxvalleyrecreation . . . Postmedia City of Courtenay Town of Comox Cumberland Recreation Comox Recreation The LINC Youth Centre Comox Valley Volunteer Connector Comox Valley Transition Society The John Howard Society of North Island Comox Valley Community Foundation Downtown Courtenay Courtenay & District Museum Courtenay, British Columbia United Way Central & Northern Vancouver Island Comox Valley Guide Comox Valley Regional District Comox Valley Arts Comox Valley Father Involvement Network Decoda Literacy Solutions School District 71 Parents Advisory Council - DPAC Comox Valley Schools Indigenous Education - Comox Valley Schools - SD#71 Cumberland Community Schools Society VI Regional Library Courtenay VI Regional Library Cumberland VI Regional Library Comox Learn Comox Valley @cumberlandcommunityschoolsociety @laketrailcommunityeducationsociety Comox Valley Record Newsroom 98.9 Jet FM 97.3 The Eagle My Comox Valley Now Whats On Digest Comox Valley Comox Valley Community Events Comox Valley Buzz Discover Comox Valley Comox Valley Events

Was a beautiful evening for a Story Walk! Thanks so much for sharing! #CVStoryWalk

Thank you to all the folks who have come out to see the different Story Walks we have put in the community! We love seeing how you enjoy it, be it with your family, your dog or with yourself! Make sure to use the hashtag #CVStoryWalk on social media to share your Story Walk experience and for a chance to win a prize package! See you on the trails! For more information on Story Walks and locations, visit https://cvllc.ca/story-walk

Story Walk is in the Comox Valley Record Newsroom! Have you gone on one of the Story Walks? Remember to #CVStoryWalk with a photo on Facebook or Instagram to be entered into a prize drawing!!

This summer, enjoy nature and inspire a love of reading in kids of all ages! The Comox Valley Lifelong Learning Centre has put on Story Walk, a self guided story in nature that you and your family can come to anytime. This FREE summer activity will take you along some of the Comox Valley's most loved trails and parks where we have posted stories along the way. We have chosen books written by Indigenous authors, with Indigenous content, or with nature as it's main theme. Use... the hashtag #CVStoryWalk on social media with a photo of you enjoying the installation for a chance to win prizes! So come out and get inspired by nature, read something together and have fun! A generous thank you to First Credit Union for sponsoring Story Walk! Visit our website https://cvllc.ca/story-walk for more information on the trails and a sneak-peak at the stories! #CVStoryWalk Comox Valley Record Newsroom Puntledge Park Comox Valley Schools Comox Valley Guide Indigenous Education - Comox Valley Schools - SD#71 VI Regional Library Courtenay VI Regional Library Comox VI Regional Library Cumberland Cumberland Recreation Rotary Club of Comox Decoda Literacy Solutions United Way Central & Northern Vancouver Island Comox Valley Community Foundation My Comox Valley Now

As many of you know, part way through March, we opened the Internet Café, recognizing the important role technology plays in our lives now with COVID-19 restrictions in place. Seniors in particular, who are most vulnerable to complications from COVID-19, must rely greatly on technology to provide for their basic needs. However, the Internet Café, being a public space may not be accessible to many seniors in our community. For seniors who are often most isolated during COVID-1...9, we have launched the Computer Access Program (CAP). We distribute refurbished and donated laptops and tablets to seniors in our community who wouldn’t otherwise have access to one and would greatly benefit from owning one. We want to give a big THANK YOU to United Way Central & Northern Vancouver Island and the New Horizons for Seniors program for helping us provide the first round of 20 laptops to seniors in our community! Now we are calling on you! Our community members to donate working devices you may have lying about unused at home. Old laptops or tablets (that are in working order) can be donated to the Comox Valley Lifelong Learning Centre at 1507 McPhee Ave Mon-Fri from 9am-3pm or you can get in touch with us at [email protected] to arrange pick up Thanks for supporting your community! Seniors in Canada

Sending out a great big THANK YOU!! to everyone who helped us at the Comox Valley Lifelong Learning Centre during our Phase 1 programming of COVID-19! Thanks to our amazing community members who dropped off donations of food, juice, coffee, masks and volunteered with us rain or shine as we ran the Free Internet Café from the back of our office. Thanks to incredible support from First Credit Union, BC Tech for Learning Society and a generous $2000 donation from United Wa...y Central & Northern Vancouver Island... we couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you to Sure Copy Courtenay for printing our informational signs on COVID-19, social distancing and community support resources! Through our Family Literacy / Valley Families programming we handed out 169 Family Literacy Bags to 131 Families but it would not have been possible without 4 Corners who allowed us to use their space to assemble the Family Literacy Bags. Thank you to all the community organizations who connected with us and came to pick up bags for families in their programming: Comox Valley Family Services Association, Comox Valley Child Development Association, Today 'N' Tomorrow Learning Society, Strong Start and Comox Valley Transition Society Phase 1 programming has been an ambitious but rewarding whirlwind from March to June and now we are ready to say goodbye and begin our transition into Phase 2 programming!! Stay tuned to hear more about what Phase 2 programming we will be rolling out next week!

"Black Lives Matter At School is a national coalition organizing for racial justice in education." https://blacklivesmatteratschool.com/ "In this era of mass incarceration, there is a school-to-prison-pipeline system that is more invested in locking up youth than unlocking their minds. That system uses harsh discipline policies that push Black students out of schools at disproportionate rates; denies students the right to learn about their own cultures and whitewashes the cur...riculum to exclude many of the struggles and contributions of Black people and other people of color; and is pushing out Black teachers from the schools in cities around the country. With this analysis educators in the BLM at School movement developed these demands for the movement: 1) End zero tolerance discipline, and implement restorative justice 2) Hire more black teachers 3) Mandate black history and ethnic studies in K-12 curriculum 4) Fund counselors not cops" Attached is an activity book for students and educators created by Caryn Davidson, a New York City based educator and artist.

Borrowed from another educator, here is a list of fantastic stories to read to kids during this tumultuous time. All the stories in this list tackle important issues from racial injustices, skin color, representation, discrimination and activism. Synopsis of stories and YouTube video links attached to each photo.

A beautiful message from Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy - Creston that we would like to echo out. To all the teachers out there, THANK YOU for all you do! "Today marks the return to school for many students. We wish them well on this new educational adventure in light of the global pandemic. I would like to extend a HUGE HEART to the teachers, who from day one, have had to endure extended hours, criticism, waning participation and constant change (and many of them had... their own children at home to care for through it all too). This was not what they were trained to do, they were not prepared for or experienced in, and yet they did it because that is what good teachers do. They supported their students and families through it all coming up with new online schedules and projects, creating online classroom meets and setting up one on one meetings to support their students individually. Now they are going to have to balance both types of teaching, online and in person. Teachers are front line essential workers and they deserve some hearts in the windows too. From all of us at CBAL, thank you, thank you, thank you!" See more

We're very happy to announce this years dates for Comox Valley Raise a Reader, September 18-25! Visit our website for more info on how to become a sponsor https://cvllc.ca/raiseareader

Have you seen the Comox Valley Lifelong Learning Centre's new YouTube Channel? Click the link below to see video promos, Skype tutorials and a list of our favorite YouTube Channels for all things learning. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_hWucu-gXFKnQdDj8egmZg

Over the past several weeks we've seen and experienced first hand how challenging it is to participate in and facilitate remote learning. There is an endless web of information on how to teach subjects remotely and what learning may look like during the time of COVID-19. Well, we've sorted and tested a variety of websites, YouTube channels and online school modules and have made our own list of suggested resources. Ranging from Biology, Math, English, Chemistry, and more...h...ere is our list of fantastic learning tools you can use from home! Whether you're back in school already and would like support, or your homeschooling curriculum needs a bit of a switch up, these resources are great to use anytime and anywhere. Do you have one you like that's not on the list? Let us know and we'll add it on! Tried one and loved it? Comment below and tell us about it! Indigenous Education - Comox Valley Schools - SD#71 Comox Valley Schools Cumberland Community School Nala'atsi Alternate School Cumberland Community Schools Society North Island College - Comox Valley Campus Lake Trail Middle School Queneesh Elementary PAC Queneesh Elementary PAC School District 71 Parents Advisory Council - DPAC https://cvllc.ca/online-learning-resources

We had such an amazing time collaborating with Unbroken Chain doing Mic Drop: Rap Writing Workshop over the past year. Thanks for all the amazing programming, awareness and support you do in the community

Have you been to the Internet Cafe at the Comox Valley Lifelong Learning Centre recently? Come on a virtual tour to see what we've been up to! The Comox Valley Lifelong Learning Centre has responded to the changing needs of our community during the COVID-19 pandemic by opening a free to use Hand Washing Station, WiFi zone, Internet Cafe, Charging Station and Telephone. The Internet Cafe, Charging Station and Telephone are available to use Monday-Friday 9:00am - 3:00pm. The Ha...nd Washing Station, and WiFi are ALWAYS available for use. Feel free to swing on by! 1507A McPhee Avenue; Courtenay, BC https://goo.gl/maps/8vQLkdFCZp16B5GT6 My Comox Valley Now Rotary Club of Comox Rotary Club of Courtenay Rotary Club of Comox Valley Comox Valley Regional District Decoda Literacy Solutions United Way Central & Northern Vancouver Island

Thanks Comox Valley Transition Society for capturing this amazing moment! The Comox Valley Lifelong Learning Centre has teamed up with Comox Valley Transition Society, Valley Child, Comox Valley Child Development Association and Comox Valley Family Services Assn to "put together Family Literacy Bags that include tips for caregivers and books, toys, games and craft supplies for the kids. Supplies were gathered and cleaned, information pamphlets prepared and printed, bags were stuffed and then delivered by Comox Valley Family Services staff." Collaboration is key, today and everyday! To download a copy of the Tips For Careproviders, go to https://bit.ly/2A6l7fL #communitycollaboration #covidkindness #inthistogether