A friend of mine once used the analogy of a train to describe the start of fall and the run up to the holidays. In September, the train gets into gear and is rumbling in the station. There is a lot of noise, activity, and anticipation. In October, the train has left the station and it’s slowly picking up speed with a few stops along the way, by November the train has switched to an express route with no stops and by December, the passengers are white-knuckling their way as they careen to their final destination.
Most Calgary Learns grant-funded programs are now in full swing for the fall term, and before things really pick up speed, I wanted to take a moment to remind you that our 2023-2024 Call for Program Applications is right around the corner. In anticipation of that deadline, I hope to provide you with some useful information to help you complete your applications as efficiently as possible.
At Calgary Learns we try to make our grant application straightforward and only ask you to provide the information we need to complete our reporting obligations back to the Ministry. However, we recognize that sometimes the language we use may need further clarification. The following resources can help you understand some key terms and will save you time and anxiety so you are better able to manage the application process:
- Defining our Terms – Please visit this link to review terms that are unique and important for programming which serves Adult Foundational Learners. We encourage you to read this post as it will support you in making a clear case for support.
- Video Tutorials – Applying for Funding Video A and B. These two videos have a wealth of information that will help with any questions you may have in filling out applications.
- grants@calgarylearns.com – Please feel free to reach out anytime for support or to discuss your program idea or application. We are here to help you!
2022-2023 was my first grant cycle at Calgary Learns and I kept a list of terms that seem to cause confusion and/or required support from our team to understand fully. This list is just a start and I encourage you to reach out if you feel there is additional terminology you feel needs clarification:
- Program – can be made up of various learning opportunities (tutoring, courses, and learning activities) but must be centered on the same category CALP funding area, address the same need, and have the same primary learning objectives.
- Learning Opportunity – a learning opportunity is a course, a learning activity, or family literacy course. Within a program there can be multiple courses – each course is a learning opportunity and within a program there can be multiple opportunities.
- Participants – these are the learners who attend your program. If your program has multiple courses, and participants can take one, or all courses, they can be counted more than once as a participant. For example, Learner A may take Level 1 and Level 2 – Learner A would count as two participants even though they are one individual
- Unique Learners – this term is important for demographic reporting. A unique learner is only counted as a participant once even if they attend multiple programs. In the example above Learner A would only be counted as one unique learner
- Small Group Tutoring vs a Class – in small group tutoring, participants have individualized learning plans supported by a paid or volunteer tutor. In a class, the participants learn the same lesson with the same learning objectives.
The most important thing to remember is to reach out if you need help. You can call the office at (403) 266.6444 (Ext 2) or reach out via email at grants@calgarylearns.com. We are always available to help you stay on track and get to the station safe and sound.
