Caribou Outreach Centre

Submitted By

Brenda Green, Coordinator, Caribou Outreach Centre, Aurora College, Inuvik

Best Practices Supported

• Accessibility
• Community
• Organizational Linkages and Partnerships

How It Works

The Caribou Outreach Centre developed a community-based literacy program that has been very successful in the community of Inuvik. Here are several aspects that have led to the program’s success:

Tips

• Connect with other community groups and service providers in your community who already work with your target learner groups. Get an understanding of what programs are already being offered in the community, tap into what is already there and develop a clear sense of how the learning centre and the programs you might offer can best meet the learners’ needs. You might wish to set up informational interviews with the community groups and service providers and get their perspective and input. Attend programs and functions and connect with prospective learners in an informal way and in an environment in which they are comfortable. Ask prospective learners for their input. Find out what their learning background and experience have been, what their goals might be, when the best time to hold a particular class might be. Seek out and collect information that will give you a fuller picture of the learning needs in your community and develop programs and classes that target the varying needs of the learners.