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Though strides are being made, a wide disparity still exists in literacy rates and educational achievement between Saskatchewan's Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal population. The gap is widest among adults, due at least in part to the difficulty that adults looking to further their academic development often have finding suitable programs.
The Regina-based Circle Project offers a classroom-based literacy/basic education program for adult learners from remedial through Grade 12 levels, and with a wide range of complimentary programs that provide far more than simple instruction.
"We operate with a holistic philosophy. That's why, in addition to our education program, we also offer so much else," explained program instructor Jacqueline Belhumeur. "We offer drug & alcohol counselling, family violence counselling, Elder consultations, parenting programs, healing circles, and much more."
The Circle Project began in 1986 as community lunch program. This outreach effort soon grew to include other services, and in 1990 the Circle Project was incorporated as a non-profit organization to further expand and better co-ordinate its growing list of programs and initiatives. Providing educational services has been a priority for the project from its earliest days.
"We've had a classroom for about 10 years. It started off as a drop-in type of relationship, where people just came in if they needed help with their reading, their math, or whatever," said Belhumeur. "We found it really helped people in building skills for their future, so we established it as a regular classroom program."
The main focus of the literacy/basic education program is on providing students with instruction in five fundamental subjects -literature, writing skills, math, science, and social sciences-and on preparing them to write their General Educational Development (GED) exams. However, the instructors' holistic approach means there is more to the program than textbooks and lectures.
"We provide much more than just instruction, we get really involved in helping people out," said Belhumeur. "We have guest speakers come in to speak on a variety of wellness and life skill topics, we have recreational events, we help students with referrals and with finding the funding to go on to further training."
Sessions for the Circle Project's literacy/basic education program run from August to December, and again from January to June. It is, however, a very flexible course, and students are allowed (and encouraged) to finish and write their GED's early if they feel they are ready. Classes are held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Classrooms accommodate only 20 students, ensuring the instructors time to cater to each student's individual needs.
Anyone interested in more information about the program can contact Circle Project staff at (306) 347-7515.
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