Peggy Revell
The Valley Adult Learning Association is ready to kick off the fall with plenty of new and returning workshops and classes for people looking to upgrade their skills,
“We’ve brought in Lori Delbo to share her advanced MBA Business training education.” said VALA administrator Barb Duguay. “And we’re very excited this year because Lori brings with her a two new courses.”
The first of these classes which Delbo—a Fort Frances native who recently relocated back to the area—will be kicking off with is called “Superbowl Technologies Strategies” and will run Sept. 15 and 22 from 5 to 7 p.m., and is open to any age.
“It’s using steps to exceed your potential in business or school or if you’re in the workforce already,” Delbo explained. “It’s seeding their potential within the workforce.”
This includes skill such as developing awareness of manager strategies, goal setting, identifying stress.
Then the next workshop Delbo is slated to run through VALA is one based on Lisa Nichols’ motivational book, “No Matter What!” which is set to run for nine weekly sessions from 5 to 7 p.m. starting on Oct. 13,
“Igniting a ‘No Matter What!’ mind set is what we want to focus on this one,” Delbo explained. “So by the time you’re finished this workshop, no matter what, nothing is going to get in your way to whatever you want to do in life.
Nichols book is “world renowned,” Delbo said, with the author having appeared on Oprah and now out on a book tour.
“[Nichols] tells her story and anybody, I would say anybody can relate to this book because it’s from her childhood to adulthood, she discloses her entire life in here,” she said, noting that participants in this workshop will also receive a VIP pass to attend speaking engagement in Toronto where Nichols will be speaking.
Using the book as a guideline throughout the weeks, participants will work to identify and develop their nine “muscle groups,” Delbo explained, such a person’s “understanding” muscle, “faith in myself muscle” or their “take action muscle.”
“If you work in a negative environment, this book will help you turn that environment into positivity,” she said about one of the workshops many benefits.
“You can’t change everybody in that environment, so you have to change the way you’re reacting to it, and both sessions with Lori will work on that,” added Duguay, likening the book and workshop to Oprah’s Book Club, and Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth: Are You Ready to be Awakened?”
Alongside the two workshops which Delbo will be leading, Duguay noted that VALA has a whole line up of programs set to run this fall, such as classes in e-commerce, Excel, Simply Accounting, and one on digital media launching on Sept. 23 to be taught by photographer and retired teacher Bill Morgenstern.
“And there is no cost,” Duguay stressed of the courses which are non-accredited. “The nice thing about our Ministry is they know people are working, so the funding is given to help people upgrade their skills so very little costs.”
While there are no costs for most programs, there is limited seating, she added, but VALA can also work to accommodate people in their workplace.
One program which VALA is also encouraging interested people to sign up for is the Academic Career Entrance [ACE] program which is accredited by Confederation College.
“[ACE] can be used as a Grade 12 equivalency, or it can just be individual credits,” explained VALA’s Kim Redford. “So if somebody just wanted to come in and just upgrade their computer skills, they could take the ACE computer credit, and walk away with a college level credit.
“It is free, it is individualized, it is self-driven,” she noted, adding that there are numerous courses to chose from such as math, English, computers, biology, chemistry, and physics.
“Because we have a lot of interest in our ACE computer course, we tend to run it as a class so that we all go through the course material together,” Redford added as one of the options available. “It’s very supportive—or for those who prefer to do it individually, they can do it on their own.”
For more information, and to register, contact VALA by calling 274-3553 or e-mailing vala@jam21.net
