Compiled and designed by Vienna Ly
Contents
Introduction | Acknowledgements | Heroes of Frontier College
Copyrights
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I hope you enjoy learning about Frontier College volunteers as much as I have in the process of compiling this book. It started out as an abstract idea, handed down as a notion by the United Nations’ General Assembly, who declared the year 2001 The International Year of Volunteers (IYV). The idea was to get people to recognize the extensive work of the voluntary sector, celebrate their achievements and, in so doing, ignite the spirit of volunteerism for the future. So, we at Frontier College took this cue to heart and initiated this project to publish a collection of our volunteers’ testimonies. But what started out as a reflex to contribute to the movement of promoting volunteerism became much more.
As you read this book, written by various Frontier College volunteers, I hope that you are also struck by the sincerity and devotion of all those who shared their experiences with us. These people have put into words what, for most of us, is the indescribable experience of being a volunteer. Most importantly, I hope, too, that you will find reflected in these pages your own sentiments, perhaps in someone else’s voice, but one that shares a common spirit: The Spirit of Volunteerism that unites us.
If you would like to share your own experience with others, but did not get the opportunity to do so before the publication of this book, you can add your statement on-line by following the IYV link from the Frontier College web site, www.frontiercollege.ca.
Vienna Ly
IYV Project Assistant
August 2001
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Much thanks to all the program co-ordinators who played the role of hound dogs in tracking down volunteers and collecting statements, despite the difficulties presented by summer vacations. Without them, these pages would have been blank.
Furthermore, I am grateful to the staff at the head office (especially Ken, Alice, Sandra H. and Ellen!) for their red-pen savvy in editing and/or help with French translations. Without them, these pages would have been full of errors!
Lastly, thank you Frontier College volunteers who shared their stories. It was my pleasure to meet you through your words.
Thank you!
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Heroes of Frontier College
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“Great getting to work with such a diverse group!”
“J’avais du temps à donner à des petites frimousses.”
“… volunteering in the prisons gave me a whole new perspective; the PLI program is vital, given the inadequate prison education system, we are needed and valuable …”
“It’s easy to tell you are making a difference! Even if the homework isn’t always done, you see an improvement in confidence…”
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Families Learning Together
Scarborough, ON
| “I’II never forget his expression and how badly he wanted to stay with us.” |
Although I’ve enjoyed every minute of being with, what I’ve come to see as “our” children, one experience is more memorable to me than all the others. The important event I’d like to share took place after snack time during our craft session.
We had begun making the craft, an interactive book of doors with pictures the children had drawn behind each one. I was working with Samson, a really nice, very shy boy. We made front doors, French doors, garage doors, and even sliding doors!
With only two pages to go, time began to wind down and some of the parents came from their tutorials to get their children. Samson’s father came and told him it was time to go. Suddenly Samson started crying and insisting to his dad that he wanted to stay and finish making his book! He kept crying and crying and eventually his dad had to pick Samson up to get his jacket on him. At this point I felt horrible for Samson, who had been a mere 5 minutes away from finishing his door book. Without considering it at the time, I asked his father if he would mind waiting for 5 more minutes so that Samson could finish the book he had already spent 25 minutes working on. Reluctantly, he agreed and Samson scampered back to me. Another 10 minutes with Samson’s face full of drying tears and beaming smiles, the book was done and ready to go. Samson’s father looked somewhat guilty when he saw the smile his son had. He picked Samson and his book up, said thanks and goodbye and left. I’ll never forget Samson’s expression and how badly he actually wanted to stay with us!
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Families Learning Together
Scarborough, ON
I was not certain what to expect from the ESL program at Frontier College. I came here thinking to teach literacy, since I have always loved reading. However, when I heard that the ESL program needed tutors, I thought it might be a good experience to help a new Canadian learn about her adopted country and its language. But I was also nervous about my capacity to do so.
Tianlan is very friendly and eager to learn. Sometimes it’s hard to stick to the lesson because we enjoy chatting so much! But Tianlan is diligent in improving her English, and I really feel we are partners in learning because she is always teaching me about how to be a better listener and a better tutor. I am sure that I learn as much from her as she learns from me.
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Students for Literacy tutor and Organizational Team member
University of Alberta, AB
| “… it allows me to continue learning and growing” |
While I enjoyed my year on the Organizational Team, and learned many important things, one of my most vivid memories of F.C. comes from my year tutoring. I came to Frontier College at the recommendation of a friend. I’ve volunteered for most of my life, and I’ve always been a very verbal, literate person, so it seemed like a natural cause for me to get involved with. Since I had previously been to Quebec, where I had to live and speak in French, I asked to be matched up with an ESL learner.
The lady I got was a Cambodian woman, very polite and kind, and always on time for our sessions. She was enrolled at a local community college for upgrading. Our sessions often focused on her homework from there, so the lessons I’d planned often had to be tossed out or improvised! Sometimes progress was made, other times I’d wonder if I was doing any good at all. But, she kept coming back, so we kept at it. Eventually, our sessions drew to a close. The school year was ending, and since her children were going to be off for the summer, we decided to end our sessions at that point.
As she was driving me home, she described to me, for the first time, her life in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. I remember not so much the details but the impassioned, desperate tone of her voice. She had survived this terrible nightmare, and she wanted to make sure that her story was passed on to me, somehow. After she left, I just sat in my apartment for a long time, feeling both honoured and humbled, but mostly just numb. I feel fortunate and glad that she had already written a record of her story previously with another tutor.
I’m still not entirely certain of the difference I made in my learner’s life, but I think it was a good one, however small it was. I’ve learned that my own teaching skills need a lot of practice and refinement, but I now feel that it’s something that is worth my time and effort. I plan to continue tutoring and/or teaching in some capacity for the rest of my days. It makes me feel useful and productive, and I’ve seen that it allows me to continue learning and growing as well.
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Universitaire au Réseau d’appui aux families monoparentales
Sherbrooke, QC
| “Les enfant me disent toujours, ‘encore!’…” |
Concernant les cercles de lecture, mon public est âgé, en grande majorité, entre 2 et 4 ans. Ma clientèle est en mouvement constant ce qui signifie que plusieurs enfants assistent régulièrement aux périodes de lecture et que j’ai également de nouveaux auditeurs. Néanmoins, je peux constater qu’ils sont de plus en plus actifs lors des contes. Cela signifie qu’ils acceptent plus volontiers à m’aider a raconter l’histoire, prennent plus de temps pour répondre à mes questions a la fin du conte et sont même capables de me rappeler les grandes lignes de l’histoire. Au tout début, j’arrivais avec un seul livre mais maintenant, je dois en amener au moins trois tellement la demande est forte. Les enfants me disent toujours “encore” ou “as-tu une autre histoire pour nous?”.
Maintenant, ils me demandent les livres pour pouvoir me raconter l’histoire à leur tour, ce qui constitue une étape très importante de leur développement langagier. De plus, lors des activités de consolidation que je leur fais faire (j’essaie toujours d’avoir des histoires liées entre elles afin d’avoir une thématique à travailler après les périodes de lecture), ils sont capables de faire plus de liens avec les histoires ce qui signifie qu’ils ne considèrent pas la consolidation comme un simple moment d’activité. Bref, je crois que mes petits apprennent beaucoup de ces périodes et que ce type d’éveil à la lecture est primordial afin de stimuler les enfants à lire.
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Families Learning Together
Scarborough, ON
| “it is inspiring to help others achieve their goals…” |
I came to the Families Learning Together program because I had always been interested in teaching adult literacy. I had no previous experience, but through Frontier College’s training program I learned what it takes to be a great tutor.
Tutoring has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I have learned as much from the students as they have from me. It is inspiring to help others achieve their goals while also finding out about different cultures and customs. The program is terrific for newcomers because learning to communicate in English is the most important step to fitting into society.
Personally, I have discovered that I love sharing knowledge and information. This program has helped me discover that I would like to be a teacher one day.
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Altamira Homework Club
Toronto, ON
I have been a tutor with the Altamira Homework Club for the last two years. Both years, I worked with Amir. I believe he was 11 when we began. He is shy and obviously bright, but has some English language problems.
In the beginning, we worked on some reading and writing assignments and it is no exaggeration to say that it was very painful at first for both of us. The reading was slow and laboured and it often took half an hour or more to write two sentences. I could see how frustrated he was and he often wanted to just put the assignment away, goof off and talk to his friends. I don’t blame him; avoiding the assignment would have been the most “comfortable” thing to do.
Over time, as we worked together, I saw that he was becoming more articulate, less withdrawn and much more interested in his assignments. This continued to the point where, if I became distracted for a moment, he would scold me and direct my attention back to the work. Talk about turning the tables!
The potential of the kids in the Altamira Homework Club is so obvious and the difficulty they have expressing that potential is also very obvious. It’s very satisfying to work with them, especially once their interest is engaged. I think they have to trust you first; they need to know you won’t give up on them. Once you’ve gained that trust, the rewards are there; for them and for you.
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“I find volunteering with adults to be a very rewarding experience. I am learning as well as the learners. It feels good when you see the person you are working with improve. It is good to know that you can help.”
– Marie Lovell
“I volunteer with an Adult Education Program and the experience has been very rewarding for me. I get a great feeling for actually knowing that I am helping people”
– Anita Fisher
“I take a lot of satisfaction in knowing that my learner looks forward to our weekly sessions. He is always eager to learn and I think he is progressing faster with our one-on-one tutoring.”
– Amy Warren
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Families Learning Together
Scarborough, ON
| “I find it to be very exceptionally challenging and this makes it enjoyable.” |
I migrated to Canada 33 years ago from the beautiful island of St. Lucia where I taught elementary school for six years. Arriving in Canada, I decided to go into nursing. I have been working as a psychiatric nurse with the Ministry of Health for a number of years.
Fours years ago I got the urge to do some volunteer work. I started the literacy program with the Board of Education. Two years ago, I joined Frontier College. I find it to be very exceptionally challenging and this makes it enjoyable.
The learners are very eager to learn as we see them show up every week, which makes me as a tutor feel that whatever I’m offering is beneficial to them. I also feel I am learning from the learners. I like the way learning is co-operated in different ways e.g. games night, craft night, community information night … etc. It also gives learners a chance to work in groups.
In my opinion, it’s very beneficial to new Canadians.
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Students for Literacy
University of Alberta, AB
| “I feel very proud when I hear from the parents that their son or daughter has a new interest in reading…” |
I am with Frontier College Students for Literacy at the University of Alberta. I have been a volunteer for two years and have enjoyed my experience very much. I tutor students with developmental disabilities and have found my time with them both educational and rewarding.
I feel very proud when I hear from the parents that their son or daughter has a new interest in reading or writing.
This year I was tutoring a student who was having difficulty reading. I told him the important thing is not to get frustrated and to sound out the words. Well, I was surprised to find out that not only was my student reading more but that he was sounding out the words and practicing very hard. I was very pleased to discover this and I could tell that he was dedicated to improvement. There were definite improvements.
I have also learned from my volunteering experience that persistence can pay off. I had a student last year who also had developmental disabilities. She was very smart but would get frustrated when she couldn’t pronounce a word or finish reading a difficult passage. I had total faith that she could indeed read the passage so I would tell her how well she was doing and that she could indeed read the passage if she took her time and relaxed.
Positive reinforcement is the key to getting your student to open up to the idea that reading and writing can be enjoyable. It is also important to really form a trust and understanding with your student; to get to know them as a person.
I feel that if you can do this, it is easier to understand their potential for learning and growing. When there is a trust established, the potential for learning is increased. Finally, it is important to know when to push your student when you know they are capable of reading a difficult passage or working on a difficult piece of writing and when to back off.
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Christy is a student at the University of British Columbia. Currently in fourth year, she will soon be graduating with a general B.A.
She has been volunteering for Frontier College for two and a half years in the program at Britannia Elementary School.
Britannia Elementary School tutor
UBC, BC
My volunteer experience with Frontier College has given me the opportunity to work with students from kindergarten to grade seven and to be exposed to many different teaching styles and classroom set-ups. This is important to me as I will be applying to UBC’s Education Program this spring. I have also had the opportunity to tutor many different students in academic subjects and been able to see progress made by these students who are often struggling with their schoolwork.
This volunteer experience provided me with many challenging and positive experiences working with children.
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Allanview Pagemasters Reading Circle
Barrie, ON
I am a high school student and I love to volunteer because I enjoy helping young kids to read. It also encourages me to read. I get to know so many of the kids who live at the site. They love the snack, to read and to be with friends.
It is a great way to do my community hours for volunteering for my high school requirements too!
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Students for Literacy
Memorial University, St. John’s, NFLD
It came to my attention how much we take literacy for granted each day. For without the ability to read and write we are not equipped with the tools to educate ourselves. It is for this reason, that groups like Students for Literacy are vital in our society today.
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Students for Literacy
University of Calgary, AB
| “We are very excited about the future of this project!” |
I’ve been tutoring a couple from Ethiopia in ESL for two years through Frontier College. Both my learners have come a long way, and I’m even spending some time with their three-year-old son to help him practice English.
My main learner is Osman, the father in the family. He is working towards a high school diploma at a private college here in Calgary, and plans to continue his education studying computers. He has a huge amount of initiative, and dreams of establishing an organisation that will help educate his people.
We have been working for a year and a half at writing his biography together. It has been great work for both of us, because he practices expressing himself in writing and out loud, and I learn so much about being an author, which is my own dream. We are at the stage of filling in the outline of events in his life with details and organizing it to be most meaningful. We expect to have a first draft done by the end of the year.
Our intention is to write an excellent true story, and have it published. We see this as a very positive collaboration, because it would highlight the power of this literacy program to change people’s lives. Osman and I are both gaining so much personally from our work together, and there’s no question our success would be inspiring to other people. It’s an exciting picture of the possibilities in writing at anyone’s reach.
If you can offer support for editing, printing or publishing so we can share Osman’s inspiring story with Canada, and raise money for an education fund, please contact:
Laurie Fisher and Mohammed Osman
#60 116 Silver Crest Dr. NW
Calgary, Alberta
T3B 4N9
Littlelaurie809@yahoo.ca
Growlauriegrow@hotmail.com
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Sherbrooke, QC
Être bénévole pour l’alphabétisation des adultes, c’est l’occasion d’une rencontre entre deux personnes qui souhaitent partager de leur temps, de leurs compétences et de leurs expériences respectives. Bien plus qu’une activité educative, il s’agit d’une contribution concrète à l’amélioration de notre société, ainsi qu’une expérience personnelle de partage, d’amitié et de courage, autant pour le bénévole que pour l’apprenant. De belles rencontres vous y attendent!
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Penetang Court Reading Circle
Barrie, ON
When you volunteer, it helps you and it helps the children.
Reading circles help make the community a better place to live. Some children, who are very shy when they arrive, quickly become comfortable, make friends and feel safe. Reading circles not only help children learn to love reading and books, they also help build trust, friendships, and healthy eating habits at snack time.
I love my community and I volunteer as a way to have fun and say thank you!
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Britannia Elementary School tutor
UBC, BC
| “They do not look at me as just a tutor, but also as a friend.” |
I really like working with the students at Britannia Secondary School. They do not look at me as just a tutor, but also as a friend. When I explain things to them, the expressions of realization on their faces are incomparable to me. I feel like I am a teacher to them and not merely a tutor that is just ‘hanging out’ in the classroom.
I would like to thank Frontier College for this experience. It will be a great help to me when I am a teacher.
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Students for Literacy
Memorial University, St. John’s, NFLD
“Reading has always been my favourite past time and it is something I wish to help others to appreciate.”
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Britannia Elementary School tutor
UBC, BC
| “to help children explore their strengths…” |
Frontier College has given me an excellent opportunity to develop my tutoring skills. By providing me with the chance to venture into the classroom setting, I have gained valuable insight into BC’s education system.
Tutoring for Frontier College has truly stretched my ability to help children explore their strengths and to open new doors. There is nothing more rewarding than watching children smile when they open books. When I walk into a classroom, I am both a friend and a tutor.
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Students for Literacy
University of Toronto St. George Campus, ON
My name is Zeenat Vali and I was a tutor for Frontier College this 2000-01 school year. My experience as a FC tutor ranged from excellent days to good days to bad days to very bad days (when I simply wanted to drop the class).
I had very difficult students most of the time who didn’t want to cooperate at all. But, near the end of the school year, I got a magnificent student who tried her best to improve her reading and writing skills. I really enjoyed tutoring her.
Even with my difficult students, I never wanted to give up on them, I wanted to try my best and give my all to make a difference for them. I enjoyed my experience and would love to do it again.
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Alison Pickle was a volunteer with MSVU Students for Literacy. She was an Organizational Team member and tutor coordinator for the Bayers Westwood Family Resource Centre Adult Upgrading class in Halifax. She worked on basic numeracy skills with women attending the program sponsored by the Black Educators Association. Alison will be missed by Frontier College in Halifax as she goes to work with youth in PEI.
MSVU Halifax, NS
| “… I had contributed to the transformation of these women …” |
My experiences with Frontier College have been varied and have therefore provided me with much opportunity to learn many skills, meet new and exciting people, and broaden my knowledge of the world. More than that, Frontier College has enabled me to help other adults do the same.
Perhaps my most rewarding experiences with The College have been sitting in on a math upgrading class and helping students who did not have the prior knowledge that would have enabled them to keep up with the rest of the class. Had the other tutors and myself not been there, these women would not have been able to participate in the class.
This was the first time that I had tutored in a small group environment. It was a wonderful experience. As the year progressed, so did the math skills of the women we worked with. And, so did the social skills and self-confidence of each woman. To know that, in some small way, I had contributed to the transformation of these women was more rewarding than any other experience.
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Multicultural Family Centre
Vancouver, BC
| “The group of volunteers at the Commercial Drive multicultural centre are, in my opinion, a part of one of the best programs…” |
In September, a group of us six university students and one other female joined with Amea (our regional coordinator) and started working with the multicultural Centre on Commercial Drive. The program involves working with African children ages five through twelve on Saturday mornings. On a normal Saturday morning, we will have between ten and fifteen children, who we work with for two hours.
It has been a challenging, but nevertheless exciting process of learning the strengths and interests of all the different children. We had originally planned to divide the children up by grade, and have each tutor work with a different age group, but quickly found that this was an ineffective way of working with such a large group of varying levels of ability. We now try to work one-on-one with each student, concentrating on his of her needs, while the other children colour maps of Africa, or other pictures from their culture.
We have also learned to modify our own expectations, to better accommodate the children we work with. We have found that their attention spans do not last the full two hours, and so we have had to come up with creative ways to make it more interesting. We are actually in the process of planning a play for the children’s parents, using one of their cultural stories. We are hoping to spend the last part of each Saturday morning making and practising our parts, and then present it to their mothers.
Another factor that makes this program special is each week, once we are done tutoring the children, we join them and their mothers for lunch. The mothers do a cooking class while the children are with us, and they make dishes from various countries in Africa. We get the privilege of eating all the wonderful different dishes, who wouldn’t enjoy that!
The group of volunteers that is involved with the program at the Commercial Drive multicultural centre are, in my opinion, a part of one of the best programs run through Frontier College. We have been given the unique opportunity of creating our own program, while at the same time immersing ourselves in the African Culture. We are learning not only how to tutor effectively, but also organization and leadership skills, which will be invaluable to each of us in the future.
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Allanview Pagemasters Reading Circle
Barrie, ON
| “It is great to know you are making a real difference…” |
I volunteer because I really enjoy and look forward to all the enthusiasm that the children bring in the door as they come to the reading circle. They crave to have an adult sit with them and help them learn. And to watch the results over a few short years – it is so rewarding. The excitement the children experience when they are given a book to take home is amazing. They also love the opportunity to read to the rest of the group. The exposure to the high quality books the library loans us is a great gift for our children.
The reading circle has also been a springboard to other healthy community activities like hiking groups and community gardens. A highlight for me was the summer day I met two of the children downtown with their mother and aunt. They were so excited and asked when we would be starting the reading circle again in the fall, and they wanted to know if we could have reading circle all year long. It is great to know you are making a real difference for some children and their families.
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From a hardworking family, a parent volunteers. The older two generations cannot read. They are determined that their little girl grows up, has this gift.
At the Big Sister Wheelathon in the spring – a way to show his support and appreciation for the volunteers, the grandfather volunteers.
The mother donates craft paper and time each week to support the program. She is a very sweet gentle soul, who makes people like us love the work we do!
Here are the mom’s comments from a phone interview…
North Barrie Heights Funzone Reading Circle
Barrie, ON
I volunteer each Monday night at the reading circle and I bring my daughter Vada with me. Vada loves the program and talks about it constantly the day before, from the time she gets up until she goes to bed! Her interest in books has really increased a lot since we started coming. Vada also loves to make new friends at the reading circle since there are not too many children where we live downtown. My daughter also loves the free books she gets to take home with her.
Vada’s grandmother says she could kiss the leaders here because of what it has done for our girl!
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Families Learning Together
Scarborough, ON
| “…despite a hectic lifestyle, I go home on Wednesday nights feeling refreshed.” |
I am proud to say that I am part of the Families Learning Together program. Currently, my involvement is in the form of a Children’s Programme Assistant, and I have volunteered with the FLT since it began in January 2000. I have been honoured to watch not only the program, but also the children grow in the environment.
The realization that we are giving these children a gift came early on in my involvement with the program. It awed me that we can make such a difference in a person’s life and to a person’s future. The thing is, we are not only giving this gift to the children, we are also giving ourselves a gift. It is extremely rewarding to know that maybe just one of these children will silently thank us for any ease we may be providing them in life.
Perhaps my greatest testimonial to the program is that, despite a hectic lifestyle and maybe too many commitments, I go home on Wednesday nights feeling refreshed. Working with these children, and helping them learn, eases headaches and worries, even for just a few hours. I think this is a sign that we are doing a great job and that the children appreciate the time they spend at Families Learning Together.
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Families Learning Together
Scarborough, ON
| “Their friendship tells me I’ve succeeded.” |
After my first encounter tutoring kids in the Families Learning Together program, I didn’t think I’d enjoy it. Although I went in with very much enthusiasm, I also realize that I had very high, unrealistic expectations.
I had envisioned myself being immediately accepted by the children, as I had so much I wanted to share. I had envisioned a group of quiet, smiling faces, sitting attentively in neat, orderly rows, hanging on my every word as I read them my favorite books.
Imagine my dismay when I offered to read “The Paper Bag Princess” (one of my all time favourite books!!) with a little girl and be snubbed on the spot. Not only that, but they went out of their way to avoid me, showing no interest in reading at all!
I am glad that despite this, I resolved to return and the second and subsequent lessons did get better.
I believe it was because I went with a different attitude; vulnerable, I was forced to observe, listen and learn, gaining their trust one week at a time. In time, I have grown very fond of the kids, and have enjoyed seeing their love for learning grow. Working together, we came to understand each other. Their friendship and trust in me tells me I’ve succeeded in sharing, rather than imposing, my love for books. I am no longer treated like the kid with koodies and they are much dearer to me than the well-behaved puppets I had expected them to be.
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Families Learning Together
Scarborough, ON
My primary reason for volunteering with Frontier College was to gain some experience in tutoring so that I could apply for teacher’s college. To my delight, I have been accepted into the University of Toronto’s Teacher’s College. Of equal importance, I have achieved a sense of accomplishment in helping new members of my community reach their English competency goals and have shared in their joy on reaching some.
My tutor experience prior to Frontier College was non-existent and I was nervous about starting. But Frontier College’s staff, especially Ken and Marlene, together with their tutor-training program, helped me achieve the skills necessary to successfully tutor.
Finally, it has been a great pleasure meeting so many wonderful learners! It has been an eye-opening learning about their culture and understanding their challenges in immigrating to Canada. It has been a great learning experience for me!
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North Barrie Heights Funzone Reading Circle
Barrie, ON
Interacting with the girls and boys who attend is what I enjoy most about volunteering with the reading circle.
Because I have been attending on a regular basis I have been able to get to know the kids, and they have begun to identify me with the program. I have also seen different Big Sister volunteers, working with different groups of kids, or one on one each week.
Collectively we make a difference.
I have seen the kids’ language skills improve not only through reading but by playing games like Scrabble, Hangman, Outburst and Boggle. The highlight of my volunteering with the program isn’t one particular incident but the joy of seeing the same kids return week after week and bringing new friends too.
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“I love the smiles on the faces of a youth when s/he actually ‘gets it’. They come thinking that they just want to get their homework DONE, but they’re always so happy when the moment comes and it all just CLICKS.”
– K. M.
“Great program! Very well run. I never missed a day reading with the kids. In fact, it was more fun than I thought it would be.”
– B.D.
“Tutoring with F.C has changed my life. Before I wasn’t sure that I wanted to be a teacher, but now I know. I love to teach and show kids new things and ideas…”
– G. R.
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St. Thomas University, NB
Well how can you put such an amazing experience into words? I guess the best thing that tutoring has done for me is made me realize how great it feels to help others. I’ve always enjoyed volunteering for organizations, but a lot of the time, you don’t get to see the work pay off. By helping the actual students themselves (week after week), you are able to watch them improve their work and most importantly their attitude towards their work. I was fortunate to work with the students at Leo Hayes and realize that my heart belongs at the high school level. Although at times it may be challenging, it always brightens my day no
matter what kind of a day I’m having.
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Families Learning Together
Scarborough, ON
I have been a volunteer in the Families Learning together program since its inception in January 2000. I chose to volunteer in this program as a lot of my friends and neighbours come from other countries and had difficulty adjusting to a new culture and language.
I recently retired as a commercial underwriter and in the past had volunteered as a credit counsellor and a group facilitator. Therefore, I felt I had skills to contribute to the program.
The advantage of this program is that it allows the individual learners to select areas of interest to them and build a personal relationship between them and their tutor. Frontier College has conducted workshops for the tutors and provided a manual for their use.
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Independent Studies
Toronto, ON
Since becoming a Tutor for Frontier College almost one year ago, the surprising thing I notice is that the roles of Student/Teacher are often reversed. It is very often that “I” am the one being “Tutored”.
The wonderful experiences and the challenging obstacles that some students must confront in their daily lives have put into perspective my own struggles and difficulties. It is “I” that can learn so much.
Mother Teresa once said, “You can’t do what I can do… and I can’t do what you can do… and we both must do it.” I think this is very appropriate for the way I feel with regards to Frontier College. It is, in the nicest way, a give and take.
The learner tutors,
The tutor learns,
The speaker listens,
The listener speaks,
The wounded healed,
The healed wounded,
The weak, strengthened,
The strong…weakened,
The giver taking,
The taker…giving
And everyone growing,
Growing in a better way.
– Adrian Conway
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Independent Studies
Toronto, ON
About five years ago, I talked to a co-worker who had done literacy tutoring. He mentioned Frontier College. I wanted to volunteer my time to a movement that would have meaning for me and that would draw on my skills.
My experience with Frontier College has taught me to appreciate the power of community and caring; people of all backgrounds and experience coming together. I am more understanding of the challenges that people face, particularly in learning. I do not take my own literacy for granted anymore, recognising it as a powerful skill. It can be difficult to impart what you know to someone else but I’ve learned that a patient tutor and a determined learner can make progress and both will be enriched by the experience.
After spending 2 hours with my student one evening, I walked home wondering how much help I was being to her; we didn’t seem to be making any progress. When I got home, the phone was ringing. It was my student, very excited to tell me that she could suddenly read all the words on her kitchen calendar.
I used to be shy about joining things but now I know that the best way to pursue an interest is to jump right in. Volunteering is a good way to learn and to meet other people.
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Independent Studies
Toronto, ON
I started with the Monday night class in January of 2001 where tutors and students work together in a group format. I’ve continued working with the group since that time and really enjoy working with a number of students and other tutors.
I didn’t really know what to expect, and was a bit nervous about how best to help students. Ironically, they showed me the best way to help them. Because many of the Monday night students have worked with tutors before, they have “routines” and exercises that they’re comfortable with and understand how the tutor/student relationship works.
I have learned that we all learn differently. Helping a learner can take problem-solving skills that will help me in everything I do. Teaching someone something also makes you think about how things work, and I feel more confident in my ability to explain and teach reading and writing skills.
I think our best evening was a few weeks ago when we decided to have a “fun” class and make a Greek salad. The week before, we planned the meal by making a shopping list and assigning items to students and tutors, writing out a task and equipment list, and planning the process of preparing our meal. On the night, we all worked together to make the salad, and then enjoyed the fruits of our labours. It was a great success and combined literacy with a real-life activity and one that was really fun!
The Greek salad night was great fun but also an excellent learning opportunity. It made me realize the importance of connecting literacy with basic life skills, and showed me the different ways in which students are abled. One student took great pleasure in mixing the salad dressing, and mixed it for a good fifteen minutes. Everyone was eager to help and no one wanted to be left out of the action. I think the experience made me realize that I take some of the simpler tasks in life for granted. We can all get great pleasure out of working together to achieve goals and share in the success. It also reminded me that what I have to offer others doesn’t take much effort and is greatly appreciated.
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Sherbrooke, QC
J’ai commencé par aller leur coller un nom sur eux pour savoir leur nom! Après, je leur ai présenté l’histoire qui était Mes Bottes. Nous avons regardé la couverture du livre ensemble et nous avons discuté de ce qu’ils font l’hiver, j’ai ensuite commencé l’histoire. Je la lisais en inventant des lignes supplémentaires pour rendre l’histoire plus amusante! Ensuite,vers le milieu de l’histoire, nous avons répété une petite comptine qui se répétait toujours dans les texts! Ensuite, je leur ai proposé un bricolage, ils ont accepté avec joie, par la suite, ils ont tout décoré et je les ai félicité du bon travail.
Je pense que j’ai amélioré tout au long de cette rencontre, mon approche avec les jeunes, cela m’a paru dur au début car je ne les connaissais pas mais à la fin, ils savaient tous mon nom et étaient tristes lorsque je suis partie!
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University of Guelph, ON
| “I couldn’t help but feel proud…” |
My name is Yolanda, I am 22 years old and am entering my fourth year at the University of Guelph. I volunteered with the one-on-one tutoring program at an elementary school in Guelph. I got involved with Frontier College at a Volunteer Fair that was being held at the university. I was actually there with the Heart & Stroke Foundation looking for volunteers myself. The Frontier College display was just down from mine and it sounded like it would be a great experience without being a huge time commitment. So I signed up and ended up tutoring a girl in grade 3.
There are quite a few moments I could share, some amusing, others frustrating!! But I think I felt the proudest during one of my last sessions that we had together. As we worked through the tasks that the teacher had assigned us for the day, I could notice a considerable improvement in Brittany’s reading! Some of the words that she struggled with before now came much easier for her. I couldn’t help but feel proud knowing that the time we spent together contributed to this improvement! (Let’s just hope she wasn’t reading a book that she had memorized before our meeting!!)
If I had to give advice based on my experience, the one thing I would say is that you have to be flexible. Each student is different and his or her attention span and interest is guaranteed to change from day to day. Therefore, what works one day will not necessarily work the next! If something does not seem to be going well with the student go on to a different task. Brittany and I would sometimes choose a different book from the library that she was more interested in, that way she was usually more willing to read it!! Or we would go on to the other tasks before re-trying the one we were struggling with.
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Regional Coordinator,
Winnipeg, MB
I wrote this poem about the volunteers, programs, and children in Winnipeg and would like to thank all the wonderful volunteers who made the programs in Winnipeg a reality! Thank you also, for the
smiles you have brought to the faces of the children whose lives you’ve touched!
From all ages, races, and backgrounds
A common bond exists
A willingness to lend a hand
A willingness to share
Laughter, happiness, respect apparent
Smiles growing and creativity flowing
Books becoming friends
Lost in words & different worlds
Floating through the array of colour
“You read to me, I’ll read to you, we’ll read to each other”
“You share with me, I’ll share with you, we’ll share with each other”
The bond forms, the trust builds, the relationship blossoms
It’s over…for now
Faces gloomy, waiting, anticipating.
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Families Learning Together
Scarborough, ON
As the second year of the Families Learning Together program draws to a close, I find myself turning again to its main strength: the freedom it gives parents to learn English with the assurance that their children are nearby and are being exposed to activities that are more wholesome than an evening spent in front of the television set.
I myself have been delighted by the recurring tasks of preparing crafts for the children, showing them documentaries, and doing map hunts with them. As the end of June approaches, the current task that my partner has assigned to the older kids is the writing and presentation of a play. In this task, I participate with relish – as I have enjoyed and learned from the myriad of activities of Families Learning Together.
I am fortunate that it came to exist.
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Students for Literacy
Saskatoon, SK
| Most challenging moment:
My first few experiences in a writing circle: the youth were quite reluctant to participate. The first few meetings I decided to just read to the youth and eventually we started writing together. |
In my first year of University, I wanted to volunteer my time in order to help people and gain experience in my community in an area related to my study. I have enjoyed tutoring for Frontier College for 4 years now. It has been a wonderful experience, first as a tutor, then a member of the Organizational Team.
It has taught me that everyone has a unique way of learning; no one method suits all learners. I have discovered that building relationships with people is the most important step in helping them learn qualities and skills that will ensure their success. I become their friend and we learn to read together. I hope to become a teacher and the last 4 years has taught me very much about what it takes to teach people the skills they need to succeed.
| A funny moment:
A youth once wrote a very interesting poem for me about his “ghetto blaster”. It was absolutely fabulous and very humorous. He let me use it to read to other youth and it always gets a laugh and sparks ideas. |
You must understand that you are not better than… or
smarter than… anybody. You are part of a learning team. It works both ways.
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Wells Street Reading Club
Aurora, ON
| “I’ve enjoyed these six years more than I ever could have imagined.” |
I have been involved with the Wells Street Reading Club since its beginning. Based in a school library in Aurora, the circle meets each Wednesday at lunch time. At the start I was concerned with logistics; who would be our guest reader, do we have enough prize books, are the attendance stickers going to stay on the name tags and most importantly are the children going to come back next week?
Well, the children came to that first meeting and were delighted when one of our parent volunteers read a story and some poetry. The next week, word of mouth had swelled the number of attendees. Six years later, the children are still coming each week to share stories and discover new books.
And me? I’ve enjoyed these six years more than I ever could have imagined. To watch the children stream into the library and select their books, and to see a group of young faces eager with anticipation, listening to a tale unravel has been vastly rewarding.
My youngest child will graduate from Wells Street P.S. next year and it will be time for someone else to lead the reading circle, but I suspect I’ll still find my way to the little library in the heart of this old school when the Wednesday lunch bell rings.
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Français Langue 2nde
Université de Montréal, QC
Agir sur l’intégration des nouveaux arrivants au Québec dans ce pays où le Francais est si précieux et souvent mis à rud épreuve.
Un moment:
Les moments magiques pour moi ont été ceux où mon apprenante me révélait en fait que non seulement elle avait assimilé un point particulier (abordé peut-être longtemps auparavant), mais aussi qu’elle utilisait cette nouvelle connaissance comme un outil pour construire plus.
Une séance amusante:
La lecture des fables de Lafontaine. A travers “la morale” de chaque fable, cette séance a mis en évidence la différence (ou la ressemblance…) de nos deux cultures. Très amusant de voir comment selon “la faune” propre à chaque pays et les valeurs transportées par les cultures, les histoires se transmettent.
Les nouvelles compétences…
L’importance du niveau de langue pour l’expression de sa propre culture; et par conséquent la nécessité de donner tous les moyens possibles à de nouveaux arrivants pour qu’ils puissent s’exprimer dans la langue du pays et ainsi être réellement intègres et en mesure d’apporter leur difference originale à la société qu’ils ont choisie.
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“I enjoy working with kids, and meeting people. I wanted to help the kids improve their reading and help them to become fascinated with books.”
–Fatima Chakera
“I joined as a volunteer because I enjoy helping others and I think that literacy skills are vital for everyone.”
– Melaine Huxter
“Literacy is not a thing to be taken for granted, and we as individuals, should recognize that there are people who need our help to succeed in life.”
– Tina Warren
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Students for Literacy
Memorial University, NF
| “That moment made me realize that my volunteer work had actually made a difference.” |
I am a 22 year old university student at Memorial University. I first started volunteering with Frontier College, Students for Literacy in 1998 as a tutor at an Adult Basic Education Program called the Rabbittown Learners Program. This was a new experience for me because I had never worked with adults in an educational setting before.
When I first met my learner, I was extremely nervous. However, after a few minutes of meeting her I felt at ease. We began talking about the work she was doing, what I was doing in university, her goals, and what things she needed help with.
When I first started tutoring her, she was close to finishing the program and after a year she moved on to do a short order cooking course. I was so proud of her because she was on her way to achieving her goal to become a cook. When she left the program, she approached me and simply said thank you for helping her get one step closer to fulfilling her goal. That moment made me realize that my volunteer work had actually made a difference in her life. You cannot believe how great that felt.
From my volunteer experience with this Adult Education Program, I have recently applied to an Adult Teacher Education Diploma Program at Memorial University. My goal is to help future adult learners to achieve their goals and to help improve their literacy skills. Volunteering with Students for Literacy @ MUN has given me both the opportunity and experience to help me achieve my goal.
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Families Learning Together
Scarborough, ON
| “I am completing my TESL certificate and I wanted to have the opportunity to practice my teaching skills.” |
I am completing my TESL certificate and I wanted to have the opportunity to practice the teaching skills that I am acquiring.
I chose the ESL program at Frontier College for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the program offered a quick preparation to the tutoring experience with a two-night orientation session. Secondly, I like that the program’s free of charge, as I don’t believe in contributing to the students’ financial burden. Lastly, I like the casual and supportive atmosphere.
I am enjoying the tutoring experience at Frontier College. The program is allowing me to explore the teaching principles that I have learned.
My student is a very interesting individual with a rich history and a bright future. Once again I thank you for the opportunity to help two people, both the student and myself.
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Worked with first nations’ women
I can’t say much about understanding
Because I’ve never been there
Only the person I am helping has
But I am able to say
That I am helped in understanding
Because in that moment with the other -
I hear, see, touch, smell, taste and feel
The stories and memories and journeys.
This is the way the helper is helped in joining hands.
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Organizational Team member
York University, ON
| “…we want to make every precious opportunity we have with them a meaningful experience and a learning stepping stone…” |
As the workweek starts each Monday, most are weary due to another weekend that usually passes just as quickly as it came. While Mondays can at times be a physical and mental struggle, during the 2000-2001 school year, this has been a day that always proves to be eventful and crammed to the brim with purpose.
Each Monday a band of six dedicated individuals volunteer at a women’s shelter in the city formerly known as North York. The shelter is a transitional one, which means that both the mothers and their children are constantly in movement; this is only to be a temporary home while their individual situations are in motion. The children who are living at the house are given the option of attending the reading circles that occur every Monday from 4-5:15 in the p.m. This gives them a chance to interact with us, work for themselves and encourage others all at the same time.
Our reading circle is not a carbon copy of any other. We encounter different kids each week and we want to make every precious opportunity we have with them a meaningful experience and a learning stepping stone. The volunteers gain just as much as the children because we are giving back to those who need it the most.
| “…we are working to help these children strive to do their very best.” |
As with all sites, we have had many obstacles to overcome while still experiencing and revelling in the triumphs. Space, time and the focus of the children has been an obstacle that we continue to work on but the triumphs far outweigh the negative. The highlight of all of our time at the shelter is the joy and acceptance that the children extend to us volunteers, and the happiness that we feel when the children are making progress and improving as students.
While our time with each child is undetermined at the onset, each child is special and unique and needs our attention. With every new word that is tried and every phonics rule that is understood, we are working to help these children strive to do their very best. Maybe one day many years from now, they will be the volunteers who lend their time, patience and understanding to help other kids reach their goals.
Wherever the road of life may take these children, we hope that our presence in their lives has instilled a passion for reading and shown them acts of love and kindness for other human beings through our example. We hope that they take the memories of the “reading circle people” with them when they leave the shelter because just as we came into their lives, their entering into ours has changed each of us forever.
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ESL Programme
Toronto ON
| “…none has been quite as satisfying as being an ESL tutor…” |
I’ve been lucky to have experienced the highs and lows of active volunteerism for over thirty years now. I look back happily on a blur of organizing, policy, and fundraising committees, knocking on doors, selling flower flats in the rain, home visits, pumpkin sales, picture days, manning crisis hotlines and one-on-one counselling. Each was a worthwhile cause, some were more pleasurable than others, and none has been quite as satisfying as being an ESL tutor at the Toronto Frontier College Programme. It was an easy fit from that first volunteer night to this moment.
Trained and armed with an ESL “Toolbox”, I was unleashed on my “Learner”. She was wary, self-conscious and overwhelmed by her experiences of the past few months. I was over-eager, nervous and overwhelmed by the prospect of doing more harm than good.
Over weeks, we played with words, practiced problematic sounds and idioms on field trips and delighted in discovering the usefulness of good children’s poetry. Wariness was replaced by laughter, self-consciousness by confidence.
I’m still not sure what my learner has learned, but I have learned a great deal. It never mattered how heavy my heart was at 6:00 PM, after 8:00 PM I left wiser in another culture, richer in another story and warmer from the possibility that I may have helped. I was always just a little nervous at the door. Yet, miraculously, week in and week out, the magic somehow held and we both walked out knowing more than when we walked in.
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Students for Literacy
Saskatoon, SK
I got involved with Frontier College in my third year at University. I found out about the program through a friend who had been involved with it for a few years. I am so glad I found out about this program, it has been a great experience for me.
| A funny moment:
I have quite a few freckles and kids always ask me about them. This
year, I had a boy ask, “what are all those ‘spots’ on you?”. I thought it was pretty cute! |
I am finishing my last year at the College of Education, and working with these kids has taught me a lot.
| Most challenging moment:
I had a student tell me about the death of her parent. I felt really sad for her. I think she just needed to talk and have someone there to listen to her. |
I learned that, in order to work with kids, you need to have a lot of patience. Before you move on to something new, you need to make sure that the kids are ready to learn and read new material. I also learned that every child has diverse learning needs, and that you need to use different methods in order to ensure success in each child.
I love working with the kids, I think they really appreciate the time we spend together.
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Magnus Eliason Community Centre
| “…they just don’t want to go, and neither do most of us volunteers…” |
Not sure of what to expect, I began reading with the children at Magnus Eliason Community Centre at the end of January. Perhaps most surprising for me is the chaotic crazy-wonderful energy of the children. It seems to me difficult and irrelevant to imagine any real “structure” to the meetings. We go with the flow of things – which is especially important, since while there are a few “regulars”, most of the group is composed of new children each week. As the children trickle in, they thoughtfully select books and begin reading in whatever way suits them.
I am very excited that almost all the kids are able to find books or activities to fully engage with and seem to be very comfortable and happy in the space. The kids are continuing to create community with their peers at Magnus Eliason, often exhibiting great support for each other. I am thinking especially of a time when a slightly older youth drew a picture of the cover of an “Arthur” book for a younger reader. So many children liked the drawing, we ended up photocopying it, and the creator of the drawing was quite flattered.
It is wonderful each week to actually have to ask the kids to leave when our time together is up; they just don’t want to go. And neither do most
of us volunteers.
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Britannia Elementary School tutor
UBC, BC
I am a fourth year Political Science major at UBC. For my entire university career, I have wanted to share the value of learning with others. It wasn’t until I heard about Frontier College, however, that I really felt I had the opportunity to do this. Frontier College’s wide array of programs enabled me to find just the tools I needed to get my foot in the door.
Since October, I have been volunteering at an Elementary school in an effort to promote literacy and a general love of learning. This experience has been extremely beneficial to me in more ways than I thought possible and has allowed me to learn more about learning and children. Working with children is now a career goal of mine and in part I can thank Frontier College for this.
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University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB
Upon reading the pamphlet inserted in the Frontier College volunteer package one would certainly be led to believe that the Reading Circle was a strong literacy based program. Do not be mistaken, the Reading Circle program does do an extremely effective job of encouraging literacy, but that is hardly what the program is ‘all about’. In fact if I had to choose one word to describe the service Frontier College provides it would not be literacy at all; it would be: hope.
Life is not easy for any of us, particularly a child. Many of the children who make their way to River Osborne Community Centre every Wednesday evening face daily challenges greater than some us will ever encounter. Some are recent immigrants struggling to figure their way through a new language and a new environment. Others face the daunting task of overcoming economic hardships, social rejection or feelings of inadequacy. Being the only one in class who can’t read not only demoralises a child’s self-esteem, but it also affects the decisions they make for themselves throughout their life.
Early impressions die hard. Through no fault of their own, if they cannot see themselves performing scholastically now, the chances that they’ll believe in their ability to compete professionally later will almost certainly be reduced. Unfortunately, for far too many, their belief in their future, or lack thereof, becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
“…one word to describe the service Frontier College provides would not be
literacy; it would be HOPE.” |
Early impressions do die hard. Fortunately, this is as true for good impressions as it is for bad ones. Frontier College delivers much more than its pamphlets promise. The ability to read is undoubtedly a very worthy skill to receive on its own; however, it pales in comparison to the gift of hope. The hope for success, the hope for acceptance and the hope for the future can give any one of the children in this year’s group the confidence to achieve whatever they set their minds to. If nothing else, Frontier College should be heralded for the manner in which it unassumingly delivers hope for today and tomorrow.
This is where Frontier College comes in. The River Osborne Reading Circle program gives these children at least a fighting chance to learn the reading skills necessary to operate in a print-based world. Moreover, and more importantly, the Reading Circle helps these children obtain the confidence to read out loud among their peers, the confidence to ask for help, the confidence to believe in themselves. Finding unconditional acceptance at the Reading Circle gives many children the opportunity to develop in a safe, structured, unintimidating, informal setting.
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Students for Literacy, Labourer-teacher, Youth Radio Program, Regional Coordinator
Saskatoon, SK
Before volunteering as a tutor for Frontier College, I had volunteered with new Canadians through Immigrant Services. I had a friend who had been a Labourer-Tutorer and I wanted to do the same thing. I was placed at the healing lodge in Prince Albert, SK. At the end of the summer, I had had the best job of my life and I wanted to continue to do things with Frontier College during the school year. So, I worked as a tutor and a member of the Organizational Team in Saskatoon. I guess I just got right into it and never looked back.
| A Funny Moment:
Once I took a couple of offenders to the library to look on the Internet for jobs. I had two of them to work with on the computers. One had never used a computer before and the other had a pretty good idea of what to do so I concentrated on helping the guy who was just a beginner. The other guy (who knew how to use computers) had a blast: he looked up all the lurid websites they weren’t supposed to be looking at! I was trying to keep an eye on him, but whenever I turned my back to help the beginner, he flipped right back to pictures of scantily clad models. So the beginner guy found himself a job and the other guy got some kicks looking at fancy ladies’ underwear. We laughed it off, but I don’t think he was allowed to go back to the library for a while… |
I’ve learned that I’m just as much of a learner as the person I’m tutoring – they teach me so much about different ways of knowing the world and making sense of it. I’ve learned that there are as many perspectives out there as there are people, and none of them are more or less “right” than any other – they all have their reasons for being. I know that I would never have had the experiences I’ve had if I hadn’t volunteered – and I’m grateful for the opportunity to gain insight while trying to do something that makes a difference.
| Most chellenging moment:
Working with aboriginal people, it can be a challenge to prove to them that you genuinely want to help and work together at something; that there are no strings attached to the tutoring. While it’s often hard for us not to generalize, it’s the same for members of other groups in society: they may jump to conclusions and expect that all white people behave a certain way. Sometimes it’s hard to convince them otherwise – it’s also a good exercise to remember not to jump to conclusions ourselves. |
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Français Langue 2nde
Université de Montréal, QC
J’aimerais savoir plus sur les besoins des gens en général sur l’alphabétisation et le français comme langue seconde. J’aimerais aussi trouver de nouveaux moyens pour me rendre utile aux gens qui auraient besoin de moi.
J’ai plus de confiance en moi pour crées projets qui me semblaient irréalisables.
Ma premiere rencontre:
J’étais totalement émue lorsque j’ai rencontré pour la premiere fois Susanne, mon apprenante. C’était une dame d’environ 55 ans, d’origine russe, charmante et intéressante. Elle était une infirmière dans son pays d’origine. Afin de continuer a rester active dans une société qui lui était inconnue, elle voulait apprendre le français et surtout perfectionner son habileté orale. J’étais touchée par sa determination, tellement forte que j’en suis imprégnée.
Une façon agréable de briser la glace:
Ne parlez pas trop de choses sérieuses au début. Laissez l’apprenant(e) parler en premier et essayez de déterminer ce qu’il/elle désirerait savoir plus.
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Manulife Homework Club
Toronto
To make a difference. That’s why tutors volunteer their time and energy to a Homework Club. Though their individual motivations are diverse, tutors share an appreciation of the written word and understand the lasting difference that developing critical literacy skills at an early stage can make to a young person.
The beneficial impact that tutors can have on their students is not abstracted – like signing up for a walkathon or accumulating curbside recyclables – but immediate and real. By developing a partnership, students and tutors strive not only to master basic reading and writing skills, but to achieve a greater understanding of the latent meaning of sentences and paragraphs, and thereby harness the power of ideas.
Developing critical literacy skills paves the way for continual learning and ultimately an enhanced quality of life for our students. That’s the difference that tutors make.
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Toronto Life Homework Club
Toronto, ON
When a bunch of us signed up for the Homework Club at Toronto Life magazine, no one expected that it would bring the staff closer together.
Most of us had a sense that it would be rewarding and that it would make us proud to contribute to the community. We even expected to have a little fun, though nobody anticipated how much fun it would be to read about WWF wrestlers, to research the process of evaporation, to learn the latest Britney Spears song lyrics, to wander through the halls of the Hockey Hall of Fame, or to pour over a map of the world, looking for some tiny, far-away country.
The biggest surprise, though, was that the program has changed the way we relate to each other, even when our kids aren’t around: we exchange success stories by the water cooler, we turn to each other when we’re faced with tutoring challenges and, most importantly, we share in the knowledge that something pretty terrific is going on.
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Families Learning Together
Scarborough, ON
| “I truly like my learner and feel we’ve become friends” |
I moved to Canada 21 years ago from the US. Even though the language and culture are so similar between the countries, I still found myself confused by many of the local idioms, accents and cultural differences. This is why I was drawn to becoming an ESL tutor. I’d heard of Frontier College several years ago when I was a literacy tutor and was thrilled to be able to join in the Families Learning Together program.
I particularly like the one-to-one learner driven approach as we can concentrate on my learner’s specific needs. The occasional group activities are a fun way to learn and get to know others in the group. Also, the coordinators are incredibly helpful and supportive and make us feel appreciated.
This program has helped me to better understand the Chinese culture and appreciate it. The learning approach forces me to be creative and improvise. I truly like my learner and feel we’ve become friends. Thank you for providing me the opportunity to teach and learn. I’d love to see this program continue for many years.
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Families Learning Together
Scarborough, ON
| “As an ardent language junkie, being a tutor gives me the chance to indulge my passion” |
This is my second year as a volunteer in the Families Learning Together Program. It is an honour to be involved in a program that offers people a chance to learn English on a one-to-one basis and that tailors their lessons to individual English language requirements.
I have already had the pleasure of seeing one learner graduate from the program and go on to pursue part-time studies at the University of Toronto. This year, I am tutoring a married couple, Hong and David, who came to Canada with their daughter two years ago.
As an ardent language junkie, being a tutor gives me the chance to indulge my passion for our complex, difficult and exceedingly rich language. More importantly, I have learned about Chinese culture and the difficulties people experience in adapting to a new country and have been able to observe families in the program become skilled in navigating life in Canada. These Wednesday evenings build friendships, provide educational and career opportunities, and familiarize people with living in Toronto.
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Compiled and designed by
Vienna Ly
For Frontier College, 2001
Copyright ©2001 Frontier College
Heroes of Frontier College is published by Frontier College. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed or translated into any language without prior written permission from Frontier College.
Frontier College
35 Jackes Avenue
Toronto, ON M4T 1E2
Canada
Tel: (416) 923-3591
Fax: (416) 323-3522
E-mail: Information@frontiercollege.ca
Website: www.frontiercollege.ca
Frontier College is registered as a charitable organization under the Income Tax Act. Charitable registration number 10740 8445 RR0001
<<For an illustrated and bound copy of this publication, please contact Frontier College.>>
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