Literacy Outreach Centre

Submitted By

Paula LeTemplier, Coordinator, Literacy Outreach Centre, Aurora College, Yellowknife

Best Practices Supported

How It Works

Clipart - fisher The Literacy Outreach Program is an all-inclusive community-based program run as a partnership between the Yellowknife Association for Community Living and Aurora College. The program provides an inclusive program where learners with disabilities are integrated with other learners. Because of the inclusive nature, learners work at their own level at their own pace on their own individual program. To help the learners feel a part of the group, class activities are planned that everyone can participate in. Field trips are one way to achieve this. By going to the museum, to the public library, etc., learners get a chance to interact with each other and learn from one another.

One event involved the Literacy Outreach Centre staff and participants going on an ice-fishing trip. One of the learners in the program acted as the guide. He taught the group how to fillet a fish. It also gave some learners a great northern experience. Events such as these can help a group learn to grow together as a group and to learn to respect and appreciate each other despite any disabilities that one may have. Another way to achieve this is by drawing on the talents of the learners and having them share their knowledge with the rest of the class. They are given the opportunity to share what they know with others. This also improves their self-esteem.