2012 was a great year for lifelong learning in Quebec City!  

A big thank you is due for the time and efforts of the Lifelong Learning Program Steering Committee, eleven volunteer moderators, and a strong partnership between the Quebec City Reading Council and Voice of English-speaking Quebec.

• Click here to view report.
• Click here to view 2012 QCT news articles re LLL.

In the past few months, various QCRC programs have received attention from our local newspaper, the Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph.  Friends of QCRC may enjoy taking a look at these articles.  Click on the images to view the full articles.

Feel free to contact us directly if you are interested in any of the programs mentioned.

TEXT FROM VEQ PRESS RELEASE:

Do you have a story to tell?
“Memoirs of the English-speaking community” is your chance to pass down the rich cultural heritage of our English-speaking community to our youth.  It’s time to share our stories and honour our past.

Remember, by sharing your personal life story you make it possible for our students to glimpse into the past of our institutions, community groups, hospitals and schools.  It can be a mutually enriching experience. A story workshop will take place November 6th at the Jeffery Hale Pavilion.

Please call Amy Bilodeau at 418-683-2366 ext.226 to participate in the Memoirs project!

Hello everyone,

It is amazing to see that once again we are at the end of a highly successful year at Quebec City Reading Council.

Some highlights of the year included participation in Voice of English-speaking Quebec’s Fall Fest and Newcomer's Fair, where our volunteers manned the QCRC booth to publicize programs and activities, network with our community colleagues and recruit new volunteers.  

Following our Annual Christmas Bash in December, we started planning Family Literacy Day, which we celebrated with the help of the Jeffery Hale Community Services and Take A Break parents.  

Spring brought lots of energy in the form of our activities to celebrate Adult Learners’ Week in Quebec; our annual Karaoke Idol contest drew an audience of close to 100 people and around 15 contestants.  Evidence of the fun can still be viewed on YouTube!   

The Community Book Swap was a huge success bringing in around 100 people who enthusiastically swapped hundreds of books.  We were also honoured by Eastern Quebec Learning Centre and the Central Quebec School board, during a lovely afternoon tea event.  

Volunteer Appreciation Week was a mixture of old and new faces plus the start of nice weather.   

Then, in early June, we were delighted to learn we had been selected as one of three winning proposals for PGI special project funding.  This $1,500 award will be used to take the Lifelong Learning Program to the next step, allowing us to operate that program through the summer for the first time.

The Essential Skills for the Workplace program was extremely successful this year and plans are well underway to get the program started again in early October.  QCRC  recently met with key personnel at Eastern Quebec Learning Centre to set some strategic goals for the next academic year.  We are looking forward to the continuation of this very fruitful partnership.   

On top of all this, QCRC continued our regular activities such as Toddler Time, Lending Library, one-on-one tutoring, the Lifelong Learning Program, and participating in provincial projects with Literacy Volunteers of Quebec and Quebec English Literacy Alliance. 

The Executive Board did a stellar job keeping the organization on track.  Thanks to President Tommy Hannan, Vice-president Gill Ayre, Treasurer Marilyn Baxter and Secretary Greg Kelm.  Nice work! 

We welcomed one new reader when Suzanne Bergmann brought a very healthy baby boy, Philipp, into the world in December.  We also welcomed a new staff member.  Bethann Merkle has been at the programming helm since November 2011, and we are entirely grateful for her expertise, enthusiasm and outstanding commitment to doing a great job. 

Finally, an enormous Thank You! goes out to each and every one of you for your continued dedication to QCRC.  Community partners and volunteers are the backbone of our organization; there is absolutely no doubt that QCRC would not be able to deliver the high quality services we do without your generosity.  You give freely of your time, energy and expertise to ensure the highest standard of programming is delivered to our clients. 

We join together to wish all of you a very relaxing, healthy summer and look forward to meeting you again in September.

With very best wishes,

Cathy, Maureen, and Bethann 

LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAM
Gardening Discussion & Plant/Seed Exchange
MODERATOR: Bethann G. Merkle
Pre-registration requested
Tuesday, May 15
10:00 AM - noon @ Quebec High School

GARDENING DISCUSSION & PLANT/SEED EXCHANGE
Participants will engage with topics such as favorite vegetables and past gardening successes and failures.  This session is for gardeners of all experience levels, from beginners to folks who have "retired" from gardening.  Joyce Coutts will be present, to contribute a floral perspective to the discussion.  

The discussion may also cover urban gardening considerations such as in small spaces (containers and balconies), community gardening, and the urban agriculture sprouting up throught Quebec City.  Additional topics may include, but are not limited to, heirlooms, seeds vs. starts, local roof-top gardens, organic gardening, and more.

Participants are encouraged to bring photographs of their own gardens, and even plants or seeds to exchange with other participants.  We hope local gardeners will join us to share their expertise!   

*TO REGISTER:
•    Contact Lifelong Learning Program at learninglaterinlife@gmail.com or 418-681-1258.
•    This session is open to paid members of the Lifelong Learning Program.*

*LIFELONG LEARNING MEMBERSHIP
•    Annual membership fee of $10.00
•    Access to 12 or more workshops, discussions and presentations, and at least one social event each year.   
•    The Lifelong Learning Program is open to all adults in Quebec City interested in casual, English-speaking learning opportunities.
•    Topics vary depending on member interest.
•    New members can pay the fee at the first session attended, or by contacting the Lifelong Learning Program (see contact info, above).
•    Current members can renew or check when a membership expires at the next session attended, or by contacting Lifelong Learning Program (see contact info, above).