For new projects starting up please visit our Publish It! Set Up site for valuable project start resources. You will need a password. Please contact Peter Gillis at VCLA to receive the password.
[Valley Community Learning Association] [Department of Education] [Halifax Youth Foundation] [Mount Saint Vincent University] [Cambridge Elementary] [Read our Story about Making Books] [Gaspereau Valley Elementary] [Lawrencetown Consolidated]
“Parent’s and children, partners in learning”
In cooperation with
Through the project families will write, read and publish together. When the books are finished they will be made available at local libraries, schools, and other areas in the community.
The goals of the project are threefold: to boost literacy,
to encourage families to work together, and through sharing the books with the
community to give the
The Publish It! Project could not exist without the support of community partners. To learn more about the organizations involved please scroll down or click on the links above.
Valley Community Learning Association
The Valley Community Learning Association is a non-profit organization that helps adults achieve their personal learning goals.
Beginning in Kings County in 1989 as the Kings County Learning Association, they now provide a forum for learners, community groups, instructors, tutors, publicly funded agencies and businesses to enhance the literacy levels of our fellow community members and new immigrants in both Kings and Annapolis Counties.
Website: www.vcla.ca
In 2005-06 the Department of Education introduced the Nova Scotia Family Literacy Grant Program to support province-wide family literacy projects.
The focus of these projects is on adult literacy within the context of family literacy and learning. In 2007-08 the Department of Education funded 12 programs across the province for over $200,000 through the Nova Scotia Family Literacy Grant Program. Programs are offered in communities by local organizations, usually community based literacy organizations, in a variety of formats ranging from regular classes, special theme workshops, information sessions, and/or learning circles.
The department is now known as the Department of Labour and Workforce Development.
Website: ednet.ns.ca
Further funding is provided by The Family Literacy Initiative Endowment Fund (FLIEF), which is administered from a trust fund by a provincially based, not-for-profit association, the Halifax Youth Foundation. FLIEF is made available through a partnership of the Halifax Youth Foundation, the Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada and the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Workforce Development.
Website: gonssal.ca
Jane Baskwill (Mount Saint Vincent University)
Jane has authored many professional books and articles for teachers in addition to a video tape series. She has also authored a book of poetry for children and several children's picture books.
Jane has been President of the Nova Scotia Reading Association and Nova Scotia's Provincial Coordinator for the International Reading Association. She has been a Featured Speaker and workshop leader at numerous educational conferences.
Jane is a six-time recipient of the Education Quality Award from the Nova Scotia Teachers Union and received the Distinguinshed Achievement Award from the Educational Press Association of America for her series of articles in Teaching K-9 magazine.
She is currently an Assistant Professor and Literacy Coordinator at Mount Saint Vincent University. To read Jane's detailed biography click here.
Website: www.janebaskwill.com
Cambridge Elementary: Swingset Press
Cambridge Elementary has graciously offered the use of the student centred Swingset Press for the publishing project. Cambridge students and their families are the first group of community authors participating in this pilot project.
Website: www.cambridgeelementary.ca
Gaspereau Valley Elementary is the second school in the Annapolis Valley to create a student centered press for this publishing project. Through Grapevine Press, Gaspereau Elementary is successfully bringing families together as authors.
Website: www.gaspereau.ednet.ns.ca
Lawrencetown Consolidated: Riverside Press
Lawrencetown Consolidated is our third school in the Annapolis Valley to host the Publish It project. Riverside Press prides itself in bringing students, parents and the community together as a whole through literacy.
Website: www.lawrencetown.ednet.ns.ca