Kids on Campus
Frontier College Members Carry on Literacy Tradition

While many university students use their Saturdays to complete papers and schoolwork, one group MUN students set aside a Saturday in March 2003 to engage local youth in an event called "Kids on Campus". The event was an exploration of campus and student life and is an initiative of the volunteers Frontier College's Students for Literacy (SFL) MUN. "Kids on Campus" builds on the work Students for Literacy volunteers who have been working alongside the youth since September, providing individual and group tutoring for kids needing academic assistance. "Kids on Campus" familiarizes the youth with Memorial University, and encourages them to consider future post secondary education.

Youth from Virginia Park and Froude Avenue Community Centres, the West Heights Tenant Association, Association for New Canadians, the St. John's Boys and Girls Club and Buckmaster's Circle Boys and Girls Club participated in the Kids on Campus event. The program Students for Literacy was first introduced to the MUN campus in 1995 by Frontier College. In its first year, It had a volunteer base of five dedicated student organizers. Each year since then it has maintained its organizing team, and has further averaged 50 volunteer tutors. These volunteers tutor in adult basic education at the Rabbittown Learners Program, and in reading circles and homework havens at nine separate youth programs.

Frontier College's national roots extend from 1899, when its founders saw a need for education areas of the Canadian frontier. The first programs worked with immigrant workers who spoke little English or had no formal schooling. In remote mining, lumber and rail camps, young graduates from university were recruited to come and work alongside the men in the day, and tutor at night. Today, Frontier's Students for Literacy carry on this tradition of learning in the new, urban frontiers. Campus programs like that at MUN are now based at 42 universities across Canada. Sir Wilfred Grenfell Campus in Comer Brook began own program in 2001.

How do the volunteers view the work they in the community? "If these programs weren't there, the kids wouldn't be able to get the help they need." says Erika Collins, a two year volunteer tutor at Buckmaster's Boys and Girls Club. Erika has already made the commitment to return to Frontier College again next year. She gets her motivation to tutor from "the kids who grasp the concepts they are trying to learn."

As part of the Kids on Campus activities, the Buckmasters Boys and Girls Club's youth, staff and Students for Literacy volunteers go live on CHMR radio. From left to right: Kearsey Best, Sarah Hutchings, Kayla Lundrigan, Anthony Keating (staff), Alex Whelan, Kelly Murrin (staff), Nick Sampson, Erika Collins (SFL) and Justin Hutchings

The Kids on Campus initiative builds on the learning success of these kids, and allows the volunteers to share something of their own learning environment at MUN. "I was amazed at how smoothly everything went. The scavenger hung was so much fun...our kids had a ball...I had a ball!" said Students for Literacy volunteer Michelle Biles.

Team and individual prizes were awarded in several categories to rounds of cheers from everyone. The team award for overall highest points was won by Buckmaster's Boys and Girls Club. By all accounts a great success, the kids left vowing to return again next year to capture first place. One young gentleman confided his intent to "go to university someday to be a pharmacist", while another was left beaming at his winnings of two Maple Leaf tickets. Perhaps the best indicator of the successful event was the cheering. The kids cheered for all of the winners in turn, but saved the loudest cheers for themselves. Right On!