THUNDER BAY – On Monday, June 25th, over 80 enthusiastic young Ontarians will be welcomed by Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Stan Beardy as they start their training to become literacy camp counsellors in northern Aboriginal communities. The training will take place starting at 9:30 a.m. in the Bora Laskin Building at Lakehead University.
This is the 7th year for the Lieutenant Governor’s Aboriginal Summer Reading Camps (LGASRC) program, which works to improve literacy skills among youth in NAN First Nations.
The program is managed by Frontier College, Canada’s national literacy organization, on behalf of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and began as a pilot project in 2005 by the former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. This year, the program will be providing 38 camps in 29 communities.
Frontier College President Sherry Campbell explains the success of this project. “We know these camps have a real impact on preventing summer reading loss and ensuring that kids start the school year ahead of the game. We’re also pleased that many of the counsellors are hired from within the communities they are serving.”
Frontier College is Canada’s original literacy organization. Founded in 1899, this non-profit organization recruits and trains volunteers to deliver literacy programs to children, youth and adults in communities across the country. Frontier College helps Canadians improve their literacy and increase their opportunities.