For immediate release:
EDMONTON, AB, January 21, 2016 – Smarter than your average city, Edmonton is a City of Learners.
To celebrate the importance of diverse learning opportunities for all Edmontonians, the Edmonton Public Library hosted a City of Learners kickoff event January 21. As part of the celebration, Edmontonians are invited to participate in #3SkillsYEG to learn three new skills in 2016.
“EPL embraces and promotes a culture of learning and sharing in our city,” said Pilar Martinez, CEO of EPL. “The City of Learners initiative and #3SkillsYEG encourages Edmontonians to develop new skills, and to celebrate each other throughout the learning process.”
EPL was named the home of City of Learners in 2014. The initiative was founded on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) holistic view of learning through four pillars: learning to know; learning to do; learning to be; and learning to live together.
It all started in 2008, when a group of learning sector partners came together to look at opportunities in Edmonton and examine what was happening with other learning city projects around the globe. Canadian cities like Vancouver, Fredericton and Grande Prairie also have learning community initiatives which have contributed to enhanced livability, foundational to Edmonton City Council’s vision.
“We are fortunate to have fantastic learning opportunities in Edmonton, through our public library system and a number of other community organizations,” said Mayor Don Iveson. “We want Edmontonians to take advantage of these opportunities, and the City of Learners initiative will help nurture, inspire and grow learners in our city.”
The kickoff featured Stephen Robinson who has vowed to learn a new skill each week for an entire year and shares his experiences through a video blog.
#3SkillsYEG invites Edmontonians to create their own version of Robinson’s adventure by learning, teaching and sharing three new things with each other in 2016. By declaring to learn a skill related to “Personal Growth & Well-Being” in February; “Creativity & Expression” in March; and “Making Our City Better” in April, and sharing it on social media, participants will be entered to win an iPad, $200 towards Metro Continuing Education and tickets to the Telus World of Science.
“I like to think of learning as this incredibly powerful, universally accessible, high octane booster for your life,” said Robinson. “Scientifically, chronic learners have more self-fulfilling lives, are able to form stronger relationships, feel a more powerful sense of meaning in their lives, and generally lead happier, healthier lives. And anything that is working towards promoting that is a plus in my books.”
For more information on City of Learners and #3SkillsYEG, visit epl.ca/cityoflearners.
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About the Edmonton Public Library
The Edmonton Public Library (EPL) is proud to be 2014 Library of the Year! We’ve come a long way since 1913 when books were all you could find on our shelves… and we’re just getting started! Today, EPL carries everything you care about. We are Edmonton’s largest lender of all manner of information and entertainment. Our professionally trained staff take you beyond Google with the knowledge, discernment and desire to help you navigate a universe of information. The second most visited place in Edmonton, every year EPL hosts over 14 million in-branch and online visits across our 19 branches and website. We deliver our incredible content to you everywhere – in the library, at home or on your handheld device. Unmatched access and unrivalled value – that is today’s EPL. EPL is a registered charity and relies on donations to enhance services. Spread the words. www.epl.ca/give
For more information, contact
Heather McIntyre
Marketing Communications Specialist
Edmonton Public Library
780-496-7055
hmcintyre@epl.ca
