Literacy program receives funding

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A project that brings parents and students together to work on improving reading skills received a boost recently, with an announcement that it will receive $41,300 in federal funding.

The Herchmer community school Family Literacy Project will received the funds from the Urban Aboriginal component of the Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative, part of the federal government's National Homelessness Initiative.

"We believe that bringing parents into the school to read will support their children's learning and ultimately lead to these children becoming more successful, and less likely to become homeless," Herchmer community school principal Pat Corbin said.

As part of the literacy project, the school will organize family days, bringing parents to the school and working to support their parenting skills, as well as to provide positive adult role models to the students. The program will also support families in continuing literacy activities within their homes. The school will also be offering the Come Read With Me program, which brings parent and child together to read books, then sing songs and do crafts related to the story.

The funds, announced on Jan. 21, will be used to buy library supplies and equipment, and to allow the school to provide transportation to the families involved in the program.