Frontier Gives Basic Right of Literacy

CARING MATTERS

Published Thursday November 22nd, 2007
Appeared on page C8

In today's knowledge-based economy, we hear a lot about education and degrees, diplomas and certificates.
If a person went to Frontier College, what degree could that person earn? That's an interesting question that points out why this organization is so interesting; it's not a traditional college.
Rather than a degree, you would get a great sense of self-fulfilment by volunteering and you'd get new and exciting opportunities if you were a participant.
Frontier College is not a post-secondary school. It is an organization that strengthens Canada's social fabric by engaging and mobilizing volunteers to take action in the cause of literacy and learning.
When I first heard about Frontier College, I pictured a post-secondary learning centre where minds, young and old alike, gather to gain valuable knowledge. Originally founded in 1899 to help men working in the wood camps, today it has more than 3,000 volunteer tutors and helps more than 8,000 learners a year in Canada.
Specifically in Fredericton, this organization assists with the literacy skills of Frederictonians to make their daily lives easier.
The Fredericton Community Foundation is a supporter of many of the programs offered by Frontier College. Some of the funding provided to the college has been used to help with elements such as the summer camp program and the homework club at the Doone Street Community Centre as well as the Frontier College Students for Literacy @ UNB/STU.
Volunteers in these programs work with adults and youth to help them improve their literacy skills and develop a positive attitude toward learning.
The summer camp program is designed to link child care with learning opportunities. With structure and guidance provided by staff and volunteers, the children have opportunities to participate in activities -- perhaps outings to local art galleries and parks -- they might otherwise never do.
The tutoring and homework club program is an invaluable service provided by volunteers that helps children in the Doone Street area with their homework. Research shows literacy is a fundamental skill required not just for reading and writing, but for securing meaningful employment, performing day-to-day functions such as shopping and developing positive self-esteem.
Having the resources available when a child asks, "Can you help me with my homework?" can make a big difference to their attitude toward learning and living.
In 2006, a teenaged boy was being tutored by a St. Thomas University student. She found him lacking interest in reading, writing and life in general. The volunteer was a journalism student who had brought her camera to a session where the boy developed an interest in the camera. She used that interest to make reading relevant to him.
That young man went on to succeed in school and gain an apprenticeship at a local company. What the tutor did not know, was that before the tutoring, he had suffered events that damaged his self-esteem, and he had attempted suicide. Her dedication to his learning not only helped him rebuild his confidence, it saved his life.
The Frontier College mission states, "We believe that literacy is a fundamental right." The college brings that fundamental right to more and more individuals in the Fredericton area.