Empowering Through Literacy
Chemainus Native College
Box 730
Ladysmith, British Columbia
V0R 2E0
Tel: (250) 245-3522
Fax: (250) 245-8263
E-mail: jesmith@island.net

Program Mission & Objectives:

The Chemainus Native College was established by the Chemainus Tribal Council in 1985. The college is registered as a private post-secondary training institute and as an independent school with the British Columbia Ministry of Education, Skills and Training. The College's mission is, "to create and sustain a learning environment that is conducive to Native learning; an environment that is community focused on the educational needs of Native people. Such an environment must be sensitive to Native history, culture and tradition and must provide relevant and high-quality academic programs and training". The College endeavours to "offer academic programs that are credible and aligned with the skill demands of employers so that the graduates" are prepared to "make valued contributions to their work, to their communities and to greater society".

The college's secondary program serves First Nation youth and adult learners working toward obtaining their Grade 12 diploma. A cultural component is integrated into the academic course studies. Results of assessment testing conducted at the college from 1994 to 1996 indicated that 70% of the students had skills below the Grade 10 level. The Empowering Through Literacy adult literacy project was subsequently introduced (1996) to research and pilot a volunteer peer-tutoring model for learners participating in the college's secondary program. The Empowering Through Literacy project is "a program delivery intervention based on training the staff to work as learning coaches to students using literacy enhancement techniques from the Vancouver Learning Centre".