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Team approach to solve adult literacy issues

Article Origin

Author

By Susan McNeil Sweetgrass Writer ENOCH CREE NATION

Volume

18

Issue

6

Year

2011

The saying goes that it takes a community to raise a child, but it doesn’t need to end there. It may also take a community to help adults learn.

NorQuest College and Enoch Cree Nation are taking that concept to heart with a new literacy pilot project that will help adult band members improve their literacy skills.
Those new literacy skills will in turn help prepare participants for upgrading programs, post-secondary education or the workforce.

Students attend class at Yekawiciy Employment Services, the Enoch Nation’s human resources, on the west side of Edmonton where NorQuest provides an on-site manager and three instructors that teach the college’s curriculum.
The program has been well-received with 32 adult students attending the January to June 2011 pilot program.

“The program architecture allows for maximum flexibility in course delivery and supports individual student pacing. Students begin the day in a home room grouping,” said Elaine McPhee, onsite manager, Enoch Cree Nation Literacy Pilot Project. 

Over the course of the day, each student takes three core classes: Cree and culture, English, and math. The course flexibility helps students because it can be tailored to meet specific needs.

“Each student works on an individual program plan, so each student goal is very individualized. All students in the program will have improved literacy in math, reading, and writing by the end of the project. The pilot project’s Cree and cultural component supports learners through recognizing the importance of their community perspective, language and history,” said Corina Hollingworth, executive director, Enoch Cree Nation Human Resources.

The band pays each student an allowance for living expenses and tracks their attendance.

The project came about after Hollingworth asked NorQuest last summer to consider the idea. After several months of meetings and deciding on model of delivery (along with building a budget), the course was ready to start in January.

Students begin the day at 9 a.m. with a home room class where activities like reading, journal writing, career discussions and specific academic problems are tackled.
The late mornings and afternoons are spent on the main courses of Cree and Culture, English and math before the day ends at 3 p.m. Students learn to write in syllabics, make a Cree calendar and learn the importance of family trees.

Because most of the students live on the Enoch Reserve, they are bussed in to the Yekawiciy office. Band members in the city use public transit.

Organizers are hopeful most of the 32 students will complete the course, and that some will choose to continue their education in the fall running of the literacy program.

Other options include entering NorQuest for higher education, apprenticing or upgrading high school courses.