Photo from the Grande Prairie Reading University Facebook page.

By Curtis Galbraith

Education

Graduation day at Reading University

Jul 21, 2023 | 6:00 AM

Today is graduation day for the 180 kids taking part in this year’s Reading University.

It runs every year in July at Northwestern Polytechnic. The kids come from the Grande Prairie Public School Division, Grande Prairie & District Catholic Schools and the Peace Wapiti Public School Division.

The children are nominated by their Grade 3 teachers and will be heading into Grade 4 this fall.

Co-founder Linda Side says it is amazing to see these students graduate every year.

“If you weren’t moved when you watched those little people come up on the stage at Northwestern Polytechnic, you have a heart of steel.”

“From Day 1 to Day 15, the change in these little people, their levels of confidence, the smiling faces, it really is life-altering.”

Side adds the number of kids taking part this year is about the same as it has been in previous years. She was expecting more kids at Reading University post-COVID.

Side says the biggest change she has seen in the participants over the years is an increase in self-confidence.

“(We have) small groups (and a) high teacher-to-student ratio and there are tear-jerker stories that come out of this every single year, the change (parents see) in their children.”

“They were not quite reading at grade level when they entered (Reading University) and by the time they finished the program, they are well on their way. The program gives them the leg up to carry on.”

Side says it is critical that kids that need help with reading get it at this stage.

“Because it’s in those first three years that you learn to read and then read to learn. Without that, the studies will show that there is a pervasive decline.”

“Without the program, we honestly feel that some of these children would never have finished high school and (it is) very unlikely that they would have gone on to post-secondary.”

Side adds that there is no cost to the families because of donations that provide cash and gifts in kind.

There are scholarships available for Reading University alumni going on to post-secondary education.

The instructors are among the donors to the scholarship fund.

Side says applicants must write an essay explaining what reading University and its teachers meant to them.

Applications are due August 31. Anyone interested can email info@readingu.org