Literacy for Life conference engages students in learning

Press Release

Saskatoon Public Schools is set to celebrate literacy with students, staff and the entire community during the Literacy for Life conference that runs May 1-6.

Now in its 11th year, the goal of Literacy for Life is to engage, encourage and inspire children, youth and adults. Each year, more than 4,600 students are invited over three days to the conference held on the University of Saskatchewan campus.

The students attend sessions led by local, national and internationally recognized authors, illustrators, journalists, storytellers and other positive literacy role models and mentors, and the opportunity to connect with these presenters on the U of S campus offers students the opportunity to set their sights on a lifetime of learning.

The lineup of authors taking part in this year’s student conference is: Caroline Pignat, Dean Griffiths, Chris Tougas, Lesley Livingstone, Maureen Fergus, David Homel, Alison Lohans, David Ward, Andrew Larson and Winston Wuttunee. The authors will hold a joint book-signing event ahead of the conference on Sunday, May 1, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., at McNally Robinson Booksellers.

One of the highlights of the week is the banquet on Monday, May 2, featuring keynote speaker Joseph Boyden, an award-winning Canadian author whose work focuses on the historical and contemporary experiences of First Nations people. Boyden is best known for his books Three Day Road, Through Black Spruce and The Orenda, which was the 2014 winner of CBC’s Canada Reads Award. Boyden firmly believes that the arts can play a role in repairing the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. He was named to the Order of Canada in 2015 for telling stories of “common heritage” and his support of First Nations people through social engagement. Banquet tickets are no longer available.

On Friday, May 6, the Business Leaders’ Luncheon features keynote speaker Ali Abukar, executive director of the Saskatoon Open Door Society, who will speak about the power of literacy and the resilience of new Canadians families and the children who are becoming a part of our schools and the broader community. Tickets for the luncheon are available on Picatic.

The banquet and luncheon serve not only to educate and inform about literacy, but to bring the business leaders and community members together to better understand the impact literacy has throughout one’s life. Funds raised as a result of these events along with the contributions of corporate partners and sponsors ensure that students are able to participate in the conference at no cost.

More information is available on the Literacy for Life conference website.

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