One of the best indicators of school success is not just the ability to read, but a love of reading. Fostering an interest in reading among youth who are faced with social-economic barriers can be a challenge, particularly in the summer months. This is where the Frontier College Aboriginal Summer Literacy Camp comes in funded in part by United Way British Columbia. The program offered a unique full day summer literacy camp aimed at helping school aged children in Aboriginal communities learn, grow and achieve in a safe and supportive environment. The program was open to youth age 6-16 at the Musqueam Indian Band and Ray-Cam Co-operative Centre in the Vancouver Strathcona neighbourhood. Campers took part in fun activities that helped build their language, literacy and numeracy skills. The program encouraged participation from families and local elders and included training for local staff to help weave learning into all programming. “The program goal is to increase each camper’s love of learning. We train local staff to provide learning opportunities in a fun and holistic manner embedded in crafts and games, but also with a cultural context,” explains Richard Harvey, the Regional Manager of Frontier College. The camps helps combat summer learning loss. Summer learning loss can happen when children do not use their reading and writing skills between the end of the school year and the beginning of the next. What seems like summertime fun and games actually prepares campers for school and life. This class of campers are going to go back to school this September ready to learn, with greater confidence in their abilities and improved attitudes toward reading and learning. Thank you for supporting local community initiatives like this and helping kids be all that they can be. 
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