Entries due May 10 for SALP’s annual contest
The Selkirk Adult Learning Program (SALP) is hosting its annual writing contest as a way to bring together the community. Running for its fifth year, the contest is open to all adults who live or work in Selkirk and area.
“It brings people together from different backgrounds,” said Adele Plett Bartel, a SALP instructor and coordinator. “They may not normally connect socially, and so it’s just having something in common, listening to each other’s stories as they’re being read at the award ceremony and connecting in that way.”
Demonstrating this sense of community garnered through the contest, last year one of the winners shared her prize with someone in the SALP, Plett Bartel said.
This year, when the winners are selected, an awards ceremony will be held at the Gwen Fox Gallery, a suitable location, Plett Bartel said, as the gallery is also dedicated to promoting and showcasing local talent. Winning entries will be posted on the SALP’s website.
There are two categories of winners: one for the general community and one for learners at the SALP. A panel of reviewers will choose the winners. Past prizes have included Selkirk Biz Bucks.
“We’ve had some very generous donors in past years, local businesses and community organizations that have been faithfully donating,” Plett Bartel said. “That’s also been nice seeing them coming together and supporting adults in their literacy and in their writing.”
Plett Bartel encourages people to take the step to share their writing with others through this contest, even if they’re hesitant.
“Don’t be afraid,” she said. “It blesses other people, and you can encourage others. There is also just that reward of sharing a talent with your community as opposed to keeping it hidden.”
She also recognizes sharing your writing can feel vulnerable, and sometimes people need a little push from someone they know.
“If you have somebody in your life who likes to write, encourage them to enter,” Plett Bartel said. “Maybe they need that extra little tap on their shoulder to put an entry in.”
The deadline to enter is May 10. Submitted pieces can be on any topic and can be fiction, non-fiction or poetry, and people can submit more than one piece, though can receive only one prize.
Entries can be sent by email to aplettbartel@lssd.ca or dropped off at the Selkirk Friendship Centre (425 Eveline Street), where the SALP is based. Full contest rules are on the SALP’s website (selkirkadultlearning.wixsite.com/salp).
One goal of the contest is to get the word out about the SALP so more people know about the resources available to them. Plett Bartel said another hope is for people to become more aware of the reality of adult literacy needs.
“One of the things that surprises people sometimes to hear is that the provincial graduation rate for Manitoba in 2022 was 82.8%. And so what happens to that 17% that don’t graduate?” Plett Bartel said. “People get left behind, so there is a definite need for adult literacy.”
The SALP assists adults in upgrading their skills, with a focus on literacy, math and technology. Classes run at various times throughout the day and are free. The centre’s intake is continuous, so people can start at any time during the school year.
“We’ve been here for 30 years, and people are still surprised to hear about us,” Plett Bartel said.
People interested in learning more about the centre can contact Plett Bartel or visit the SALP’s website.
