Guide par les principes de l'education communautaire, la mission du "Port au Port Community Education Initiative Inc. "est de creer une culture d'apprentissage par L'entremise d'un processus d'apprentissage a vie qui promouvoit l'enrichissement personnel et le maintien de communautes saines et autosuffisantes.
Community Education is a simple idea which seeks to coordinate education, social, and economic development activities in the community so that the residents of the Port au Port Peninsula can be better served.
Maximum Use of Resources: The physical, financial and human resources of every community will be interconnected and used to their fullest to meet different needs and interests of the community.
Inclusiveness: Community programs, activities, and services will involve the whole community.
Responsiveness: Public institutions have a responsibility to develop programs and services that respond to the continually changing needs and interests of the people they serve.
Lifelong Learning: Formal and informal learning opportunities will be available to all residents of all ages in a wide variety of community settings.
Leadership Development: Local leaders and their abilities are prerequisites for on-going self- help and community improvement efforts.
Self Help: When people assume responsibility for their own well-being, they acquire independence.
Community Involvement in Schools: Parents are a child's first and most important teachers and have the right to participate in their education.
Self-Determination: Local people are in the position to identify community needs and wants.
Integrated Delivery of Services: Agencies working on the peninsula will work together to meet their goals and to better serve the public.
The Port au Port Community Education Initiative, in conjunction with the Bay St. George Coalition to End Violence, has secured funding under Health Canada to work towards the establishment of twelve such centres throughout the Bay St. George area. This Coalition is known as the Community Action Committee for Bay St. George.
Insert Community Education Port au Port Model here
COMMUNITY SCHOOL: This model of a school, as an integrated part of community life, is an attempt to bridge the gap between education and community. One of the main goals is to change any negative attitude toward education by providing opportunities for parents, school and community to work together for common goals and outcomes. This is being done in the Port au Port area in a number of ways.
The Centre offers credit courses at a high school level and Adult Basic Education (ABE) level I and Level II courses. A partnership with Westviking College makes it possible for returning adult students to study near their home communities. In a further effort to increase accessibility, the Centre began offering evening classes in ABE level I And III in January in 1994. The ultimate goal is to help students reach their ambition of getting a high school diploma and assist them in further career plans. In addition, the Centre has previously coordinated other programs such as the following.
These school based centres are a physical manifestation of community schools. Here the barriers are removed so that parents or caregivers, their children, educators and the community in general can come together in a relaxed, inviting atmosphere. Available to them is a diverse range of services such as parenting courses, drop-in play programs, toy lending libraries and peer support groups. There are several of these centres operating at various levels of development.
Preschool Enrichment Program
The purpose of this program is to provide a quality preschool program for children who would benefit emotionally, physically, socially, intellectually and creatively from being exposed to a wide variety of preschool activities. The program provides these children with an atmosphere of safety, love and respect which promotes learning through fun!
The enriched "preschooling"of such young children will better equip them to meet the many challenges of formal schooling, beginning with Kindergarten. Preschool programs are in place in all primary schools in the Port au Port area.Toy Lending Library
The first Toy Lending Library was established in Piccadilly through a volunteer effort. Most toys were donated and are now available for the drop-in play program and on loan to parents. Family resource centre programs such as this will hopefully also provide parents with training on how to stimulate their child's learning abilities.Drop-in Play
The drop-in centre is incorporated into the Toy Lending Library program. This involves a designed time for parents, caregivers, children and staff to meet on an informal basis with the simple objective of becoming acquainted.
Community Schools
Reading Recovery
This is an early intervention program for young readers who are experiencing difficulty in their first year of reading instruction. It is designed to help these initially low-achieving children make accelerated progress and catch up with their peers. A number of teachers have received training in this delivery program.
Reading Rescue
Reading Rescue, also know ans the "Junior High Reading Tutor Program" is an experiment based on a case study, Intervention for a Student "at promise". A number of tutors have been hired to work with individual children in schools in the district.Reading for Fun
This project is made possible through the concerted efforts of the Initiative and Laubach Literacy of Canada. It allows children to learn in a creative, relaxing and fun-filled environment during their summer break. The goal is to provide supplementary reading and writing activities to high school and elementary students as well as develop fun activities for pre-schoolers. Emphasis is placed on individual instruction and overall focus is to create a summer learning culture.Curriculum Development
Four modules of community-based curriculum have been developed. These include Entrepreneurship, Aquaculture, Tourism, and Agrifoods. These modules have been produced in coordination with the local agencies and individuals. They provide the entrepreneurial curriculum for the Youth Internship Program at the Pathfinder Learning Centre.Breakthrough to Literacy
For the purpose of this program, a teacher is identified to work with grade one students and their parents for the three years of primary (grades 1-3). A primary coordinator works with the teacher to organize programs that focus on ensuring that children acquire basic literacy skills. Emphasis is placed on reading, writing, and vocabulary. The basic premise of the program is - that improving the achievement level of students must be a collaborative effort involving the school and the home, therefore, parental involvement is essential.Social Work Interns
There are fourth and fifth year social work interns in schools in the Appalachia School District. Social workers in schools pursue the objectives common to all social work practice. In doing so, they translate and extend the common base of social work into a specialized practice that takes place in a primary institution for developing the potential of children.Parents as Teaching Partners
This program is designed to develop a love of reading in children and to increase communication between the home and school. It concentrates on training parents to better help their children with their education. By doing so, the objectives are to increase the children's reading levels, provide information on literacy services, strengthen parents literacy skills and, ultimately, break the cycle of family literacy.Parenting Programs
There are a number of qualified facilitators including parents in the area who are able to deliver a variety of parenting programs whenever the need arises. These include STEP, Nobody's Perfect, Ready or Not and How to Talk So Kids Will Listen
Alternative/Adult Education
PATHFINDER LEARNING CENTRE
Using the Pathfinder Learning System, students have an opportunity to study in an environment which is different from the traditional high school setting. The computer-managed technology allows students to work at their own pace and to personally manage their schedules.Second Chance
This was a one-time, specialized program designed to give young people a chance at completing their high school education. It was divided into two parts with one half concentrating on academic subjects such as Math, English, and Science and the other half focusing on Life Skills training. Some topics included were Nutrition and Food Management, Parenting Skills, Budgeting, Job Acquisition Skills, and a Work Placement.
Cooperative Education
This program was originally piloted at the Pathfinder Learning Centre in Port au Port West and has since expanded into several high schools in the area.
It is a work academic program which integrates productive work experience in the private or public sector with a course of study at a secondary institution. At present, Bishop O'Reilly High School in Port au Port West is into its fifth year of offering this course, while Our Lady of Lourdes High School is in its second year.
The Cooperative education course is linked with the Family Living 2200 and the Career Education 101 courses. This has broadened work placements and the ability to satisfy the interests of a wider range of individual students.Work Orientation Workshops
This program consists of a series of workshops for high school students who are at risk of not completing their high school education. The objective is to promote the necessity of staying in school until graduation by making connections to jobs and careers. It is hoped that the work experiences they receive will impress upon them the importance of a high school education as a basis for future plans.Port au Port Enterprise Training Initiative
Established by the Port au Port Community Education Initiative Inc. this training initiative is a three year program which incorporates the final year of high school with a two year post secondary diploma in Business Administration. Counselling and mentorship, provided by the Community Education partners, provides the framework for the program. The aim is to prepare students to run their own business or function in a management position in a business or non-profit organization.Linkages
Under this program, a youth is matched with a local employer for a period of six weeks. The goal is to facilitate employment opportunities for "at risk" youth. Employment support is offered through the sponsoring agency. It is hoped that upon completion of this program these individuals will either move on to some post-secondary institution or remain in the workforce.
Community Awareness/Involvement
Communication for Survival /Communiquer pour Survivre
This initiative is designed to promote dialogue on local issues facing the community. Communities are encouraged to share experiences and make connections with other communities. Participants and committees within each community will have opportunities to discuss and choose specific cultural survival and community development themes for action. The initiative stresses communication between people and making all technology easily accessible. Ordinary people will control all technical equipment and participate in all production activities.
The first phase of the initiative is now complete as local partners and committees have stepped forward or have been formed in each community.Youth Service Canada
YSC is an integral part of Employment and Learning Strategies which provide youth with work experience and skill development opportunities designed to facilitate a structured transition from school to the labour market.
Summer Youth Service Canada (SYSC) helps secondary and post secondary students participate as part of a group to acquire relevant experience through community service projects. Participants in these projects are expected to learn personal and work-related skills through projects which are designed to give them maximum learning, growth, and community service experience.Making Connections
"Students often don't have the information they want, don't know how to get the information they need, and don't know how to use the information they have."
This statement applies to many young people facing a career decision today. However, a program is being offered to support parents in helping young people access current and relevant information in order to make realistic career choices for tomorrow's economy.
"Making Connections: A Career Support Package for Rural Parents" is offered to help parents become more aware of the kinds of career information available, where and how to access this information and how to talk to young people about careers.Community Forums
The Port au Port Community Education Initiative Inc. held a series of televised community meetings in the Port au Port area during September 1993. The committee continued to provide programming on a community by community basis broadcasting to the local area using a transmitter. The forums are an attempt to broaden the base of participation and involvement in the planning process of the Initiative. This is yet another way of including people in planning and decision-making on a community level. The long term goal is to establish community television in the area for educational (formal and informal) purposes.
Using community education principles, the Port au Port community Education Initiative is continuing its collaborative efforts in the Port au Port area and is constantly looking for ways to reach out to and engage local people. The aim is to ameliorate the social and economic conditions of the area by using a most effective weapon - lifelong learning!
Inter-agency co-operation has been critical to the establishment of the Port au Port Community Education Initiative. However, as important as the professionals are to the Initiative, the key to social change is grassroots participation. Ideally, residents will decide what kind of education services they need, help set them up, attend programs and support others who attend programs.
Some of this participatory process is already well underway as illustrated by community school-based family resource centre development for both youth and adults and the use of interactive technology for town hall meetings.
The Port au Port Community Education Initiative Inc. will continue to, through its partners, integrate and coordinate services by identifying and implementing programs and processes which provide people with the opportunity to engage in life-long learning.
in the
Port au Port Community Education Initiative
Abitibi Price Inc.
ACOA
Air Atlantic
Appalachia RC School Board
Bay. St. George Employment Corp.
Bay St. George Literacy Council
Community Health- Western
Dept. Of Health
Dept. Of Social Sevices
Economic Recovery Commission
Enterprise Network
Enterprise Newfoundland and Labrador
ARCO
Human Resources Development Canada
Long Range Business Development Centres
Mental Health
Newfoundland Telephone Co.
Port au Port Economic Development Assoc.
RCMP, Piccadilly
Westviking College
Women's Enterprise Bureau
Zone 9 Regional Economic Development Board
For more information contact: Beverley Kirby, Director
Tel: (709) 643-4891 Fax: (709) 643-9235
Box 5600, Stephenville, NF, A2N 3P5 or e-mail: bkirby@nf.sympatico.ca