Ready, set, let the learning begin

The Learning Partnership
News Release

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The Learning Partnership is hosting the second Let the Learning Begin, interactive learning workshop for parents and their children who are between the ages of 0 and 6 years in the North Bay – Nipissing community. Let the Learning Begin will provide parents with the opportunity to acquire new strategies to help their children develop a love of learning with necessary learning by introducing early literacy, numeric and life earning skills. This second-of-a-kind half-day conference is taking place on October 20, 2007 at St. Joseph-Scollard Hall in North Bay between 9:15 am and 12:30pm.

“More than ever before, it’s important that we reach out to parents -- and help provide them with the necessary tools to make sure that their children are given the opportunities to succeed at school,” says Karen Cobb, Welcome to Kindergarten Program Manager – North Bay, The Learning Partnership. “Let the Learning Begin is a terrific workshop that will engage children and their parents as they embark on their journey of lifelong learning in our public education system.”

In celebration of this event, Mayor Victor Fedeli has declared October 20 Let the Learning Begin Day in North Bay.

Let the Learning Begin will feature sessions hosted by experts in early years education, health, social work and community development who will be delivering workshops in English and French in the following categories: literacy, music and language, arts, physical activity, language, numeracy, social values, special needs, environment and language and entertainment.

The workshops have all been designed with interactivity and entertainment in mind so participants will learn new skills and activities, and they will have fun doing it. In addition to having refreshments and information booths, there will also be entertainment including, recording artists Leah Solomaa, children’s entertainer Mary Stokes, story tellers in both official languages, as well as face painting, balloon animals and crazy critters.

For more information and to register for this innovative learning initiative, visit www.letthelearningbegin.ca. School bus transportation is being provided to and from outlying communities and at select locations throughout North Bay by registering at your neighborhood Ontario Early Years Centre.

This learning workshop is based on the success of The Learning Partnership’s Welcome to Kindergarten™ program which is an early years initiative supporting pre-school children and their families before they begin school. This unique program gives them the opportunity to receive important learning materials by providing strategies for families on how they can support their children in the early learning process.

Participating partners include school boards le Conseil Scolaire Catholique Franco-Nord, le Conseil Scolaire public du Nord-Est de l’Ontario, Near North District School Board and Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic School Board; the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board; the Ontario Early Years Centre and many others.

Let the Learning Begin is made possible through the generous support of TD Bank Financial Group, Ontario Literacy/Numeracy Secretariat, the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board; the Ontario Early Years Centre, the school boards and many other community sponsors.

Established in 1993, The Learning Partnership is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to championing a strong public education system in Canada through innovative programs, credible research, policy initiatives and public engagement. Since its inception, more than three million students and teachers have participated in one or more of TLP’s programs, including Take Our Kids to Work™ and Entrepreneurial Adventure. For information on TLP, log onto www.thelearningpartnership.ca.

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