For the first time, the NWT Literacy Council (NWTLC) is hosting NWT Literacy Week over April 19-25, 2020, instead of in mid September.
The date change comes in response to community requests to move the week away from the busy start of the school year in the fall. The new date had been decided prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and so now not only are the dates new, but so is the virtual format.
This year, the theme of the week is “Celebrating 30 Years of the NWT Literacy Council,” which honours the organization’s 30 years of supporting literacy, such as by creating over 100 resources and training over 1,500 Northerners to facilitate literacy programming in the NWT.
This year also marks the organization’s 30th year helping NWT communities build capacity to support literacy and essential skills programming.
Physically distanced Literacy Week activities for NWT residents to do at home will include a reading challenge, activity challenge, and more!
“This year we are celebrating NWT Literacy Week differently. We’ve responded to community requests to change the date of NWT Literacy Week and now will host all events virtually. We are excited to try this new adventure with everyone!” – Katie Johnson, Family and Community Literacy Coordinator.
One of the highlights this year will be a Literacy Week Activity Challenge, where families are invited to send photos or videos to the NWTLC of themselves completing challenges like spelling out “NWT” using objects they’ve found and doing a physically distant random act of kindness.
The challenge closes at 8pm on Saturday, April 25.
- NWTLC staff will also be hosting Facebook Live events throughout the week sharing crafts, story time, and new skills (have you ever wanted to learn how to make granola or play the ukulele? Tune in!) with NWT communities.
- On Tuesday, April 21, the NWTLC is relaunching the Northern Writes writing contest, which hasn’t been held since 2002. Families and individuals will have until the end of June to write their entry piece (5 pages or less) and then we will announce the winners this fall.
- On Wednesday, April 22, read for 30 minutes to celebrate the NWTLC’s 30th birthday – and then email [email protected] to let us know the number of people in your household who read.
- Individuals are also invited to join an online book club, where they can share and review what they are reading.
Literacy Week Challenge Tasks
- Take a photo of your favourite book.
- Find a sign or poster in your community with writing in an Indigenous language and take a photo of it.
- Go outside of the community Rec Centre, rink or gym and take a video of you doing 5 jumping jacks.
- Take a photo beside a body of water and tell us your favourite thing to do on the water.
- Write a song about your community and take a video of it.
- Recreate a scene from your favourite picture book, with art, objects, people or other things.
- Using only found objects spell out “NWT”
- Take a picture of a spot in your community where you can usually get books.
- Find a new recipe online that includes a food you’ve never eaten before.
- Send us the link and let us know what ingredient is new to you.
- Find evidence that an animal or bird has passed by.
- Take a photo or video.
- Arrange crayons, markers, clothes or anything else in correct order of the rainbow and take a photo.
- Search online for flags of different countries.
- Send us a link to three flags you like the best.
- Make a poster to celebrate NWT Literacy Week and put it up in your window.
- Find another NWT Literacy Week poster in your community.
- Do a random act of kindness for someone in your house or community
- while maintaining physical distancing
