A total of 720 students honed their literacy skills this past summer through the Summer Tutoring Program for Kids, says Education, Early Learning and Culture Minister Hal Perry.
“The aim of the program is to maintain or improve students’ reading, writing and literacy skills and encourage a positive attitude towards learning,” said Minister Perry. “Literacy skills are vital for all students, and with the Public Library Service hosting these tutoring sessions, it’s great to see young Islanders visiting their local library on a regular basis.”
The program is hosted by the Prince Edward Island Literacy Alliance, and is offered through public libraries during July and August. Weekly tutoring sessions are provided for students in English, French Immersion, Francophone and EAL programs.
“Not only is this program important for keeping students engaged over the summer months, but also for getting them excited about learning,” said Gina Hyson, program coordinator and a former tutor. “We keep tutoring fun and positive, while still tackling student learning needs. It’s great to see kids coming into the libraries week after week with smiles on their faces, ready and excited to learn.”
The Department of Workforce and Advance Learning and the Department of Education, Early Learning and Culture provided a total of $46,000 to the Literacy Alliance to support the hiring of tutors and a coordinator, and Master Packaging contributed a further $15,000 which enabled the hiring of six additional tutors. Other partners are Service Canada, the English and French school boards, the Percé program, the Eastern Graphic Gold Mine Draw, the Charlottetown Royalty and Montague Rotary clubs and private donors. The total cost of the program is just over $167,000.