LAPS training thrives in Manitoba
by Terrie Moar
Hello
fellow LAPS trainers and facilitators! I am so pleased to be able to write
this article for the first edition of our LAPS newsletter. I wanted to
share a little of what is happening in Manitoba. I am especially thrilled
to see the variety of people who are participating in the training. My
second training was quite amazing. Six people with very diverse backgrounds
were the participants. They were really community people, from the director
of the local resource centre to a parent with very low literacy skills.
Yes, this was training for facilitators. The parent heard of the training
and wanted to take part. It was a wonderful opportunity to practice building
on people’s strengths. I learned so much from this group. They were
extremely giving and courageous.
We managed to cover all the modules and still experience the wisdom of the group. One participant said this in her evaluation; “I especially liked… people sharing their histories, stumbling blocks they have overcome etc.” A person who saw himself as a non-reader wrote; “I especially liked… being included in the program.” I left that training with a renewed sense of awe and inspiration. I have since done a couple of training sessions with home visitors who most often work one on one with parents in their home. These training sessions have made me really look at the power of the LAPS program. The group immediately picked up on the strength of the modules, dealing with real issues of real parents. One participant put it this way; “It is also informative and useful because it deals with day to day parenting issues i.e. discipline, communication, feelings.” This entire process of becoming a certified LAPS trainer and doing the actual training has been one of the highlights of my family literacy work. I’m looking forward to seeing the impact of the LAPS program on Manitoba communities.
