International Literacy Day was September 8. It’s celebrated across Canada to promote and increase reading and writing skills among Canadians. Since 1987, The Salvation Army’s STEP Literacy Program in downtown Winnipeg has been teaching reading and writing skills to those who don’t possess them.
STEP stands for STages Education Program. Stages refers to the curriculum developed by the Province of Manitoba. The program works with adults below a Grade 6 reading and writing level. The Stages curriculum has three levels and STEP focuses on the first two levels. Each Stage can take up to a year to complete.
Classes are held five days a week, year-round, and are open to the entire community. In the July 2008 to June 2009 school year, 42 students participated in the classes with the majority ranging from ages 41 to 55. When a student successfully completes the grade 6 level they graduate, complete with cap, gown and diploma. They are then ready to pursue further education or employment.
And, throughout the year, students participate in field trips that have a literacy-related component. This year they visited the Winnipeg Millennium Library, the Museum of Man and Nature, the Forks, a book reading where their novels were signed by the author and participated in the annual Learner’s Speaker Bureau where they learn how to create, write and present speeches about their lives.
In addition to the STEP program, computer classes are held daily in the computer lab. These classes are designed to improve a variety of language skills, the use of the Internet, typing, daily journal exercises, installing and using educational software.
While the aim of the STEP program is to teach basic literacy skills, there is a very strong life skills component as well. Many clients come into the program with multiple barriers to success in life, literacy just being one of them. Many have time and stress-management issues, criminal records or addictions issues.
“We encourage self-responsibility such as completing homework, calling before class if you are unable to attend due to illness, having backup childcare and making personal appointments outside class time,” says Mandy Marshland, program supervisor.
“We also hold a group life skills luncheon on the last Friday of each month,” continues Mandy. “The students decide on a meal that they will prepare as a group. They find a cost effective and healthy recipe, develop a shopping list of what’s needed and we buy the food. Students develop a list of tasks needed to make the meal, assign and complete the tasks, set the table, serve the meal and clean-up. This is a fun way to incorporate planning, nutrition, math, proper food handling techniques, and working together as a group. It also means they get a healthy meal with leftovers to take home.
“Students are taking what they’re learning in the classroom and incorporating it into their everyday life. It is so rewarding to see a grandmother who can finally help her grandchildren with their homework, or a mother who now for the first time reads her kids bedtime stories.”
