Released on July 24, 2018
Summer literacy camps are well underway for more than 1,200 students across the province. These camps encourage students to continue reading over the summer months while having fun and interactive learning experiences.
“These camps instill a life-long love of reading in children with a focus on First Nations and Métis students,” Deputy Premier and Minister of Education Gordon Wyant said. “The camps maintain and enhance the literacy skills students learned during the school year and help prepare them for classes in the fall.”The camps are meant to be culturally relevant and have visits from parents and Elders to lead activities and support a community-based approach to learning. At the end of the camp, students are encouraged to further develop their literacy skills by taking home the books they read to continue building a love of reading.
“Literacy camps are an integral part of our communities. They provide free books and fun for campers in communities where there are often few alternatives; in addition to this the camps create employment for community members,” Saskatchewan Summer Literacy Camp Facilitator for the Northern Lights School Division Robert Dolan said. “Literacy Camps also prevent summer reading loss, which supports the Education Sector Strategic Plan outcome of 80 per cent of students reading at or above grade level by 2020.”
The camps offer First Nations content and have presentations with Elders. At least 65 First Nations content books were purchased for each location.
“I like the books, and the games; I like everything!” Camp participant Etienne Divinagracia said.
There are 20 camps for students aged five to 15 throughout July and August across the province. Northern Lights School Division hosts 14 of the 20 camps. The other camps are run by Prince Albert Roman Catholic, Saskatchewan Rivers, Creighton, Ile-à-la Crosse, Light of Christ, Living Sky, Northern Lights and Prairie Valley school divisions.
The Government of Saskatchewan is providing $500,000 to run these camps for a total investment of more than $4.5 million over the past nine years the camps have been running. The ministry also provided $45,000 to Frontier College to support summer literacy camps delivered on Ahtahkakoop and Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nations.
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For more information, contact:
Chris Hodges
Education
Regina
Phone: 306-787-1069
Email: chris.hodges@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-533-7506