The $3,000 grant from District 44 Région du ciel bleu of the Retired Teachers of Ontario (RTO) will help a program delivered by the Centre de formation du Nipissing. It supports students with their homework, educational software, reading and writing, math and educational board games.
The program serves students aged 6-11 at École publique Jeuness-Active, École élémentaire catholique La Résurrection and École élémentaire catholique Saint-Joseph.
“As former educators, we understand the importance of the after-school program in helping to motivate students and build their academic success,” says Michelle Michael, President.
The funding is part of RTO/ERO’s annual Project – Service to Others (PSTO).
Districts apply for individual projects that support a local, national or international program. Up to $4,000 per project is available.
Each fall, a committee of RTO/ERO members assesses the merits of each PSTO submission.
These projects range from a reading space for primary students to elder abuse education support to sanitation improvements for a school in Africa.
Michael notes that nearly 20 per cent of francophones in Nipissing West do not obtain a high school diploma, and 58 per cent of francophones in northern Ontario do not achieve level 3 on the literacy scale. “The after-school program is one strategy to close those gaps and help our francophone schools to achieve their mission,” she says.
District 44 has about 300 members, from the communities of Astorville, Bonfield, Cache Bay, Callander, Corbeil, Crystal Falls, Field, Lavigne, North Bay, Mattawa, River Valley, Sturgeon Falls, Thorne and Verner.
