INSIDE DOUGLAS COLLEGE / August 6, 1991

 

 

Site shift suits students

etting away from a college or

high school setting makes it
easier for adults lacking reading
skills to seek help. Douglas Col-
lege instructor Judy Crawford says
a community setting has helped
her students in Coquitlam, and
now that community approach is
coming to Maple Ridge.

Douglas College’s Developmen-
tal Studies Department is shifting
its free adult literacy program
from the School Board Annex next
to Maple Ridge Secondary School
to a Dewdney Trunk Road site
next to the Municipal Hall. It’s all
part of the collaborative model
worked out between Douglas Col-
lege and the Maple Ridge School
District.

“A high school or a college can
be a bit scary for people going into
a program for basic literacy,” said
Crawford, who teaches at
Coquitlam’s Lincoln Library.
“These are not ESL classes. These
are for people who have been
failed by the school system. No
one took the time to teach them to
read, though they are now proving
they are able to learn.”

Ted James, Acting-Director of
Student Services and Developmen-
tal Studies, also believes the shift
will benefit students.

“The community approach has
been so successful in Coquitlam
that we decided it would be a
good idea to use it in Maple
Ridge,” said James. “A neighbour-
hood approach to literacy training
is much more accessible for these
students.”

Maple Ridge classes in office ad-
ministration, formerly housed at
the Dewdney Trunk Road site, will
be shifted to Douglas College’s
New Westminster campus.
Developmental Studies college
preparation courses in Maple
Ridge will remain in the School
Board Annex.

Last spring marked the first
semester of literacy classes in the
Lincoln Library. During the 14-
week program adults in small
classes work at their own speed
and level to develop basic literacy
skills. The adult students are also
encouraged to learn by using
material which interests them.

“If someone wants to learn how
to make beer, they bring their in-
structions from home and we
work through it together, and they
learn how to read key words,” said
Crawford. “One student we had
has a two-year-old girl, so we read
parenting magazines with articles
about how to work out issues with
young children.”

The entire process, says Craw-
ford, is very rewarding for both
student and teacher.

“It’s wonderful for them. The
pride they take in their reading
and writing is fantastic.”

Submissions
invited

Oe Student Finance and Place-
ment Office is inviting submis-
sions from Douglas College
personnel for one-time (non-repeat-
ing) projects to employ students in
part-time positions.

The projects must be outside the
on-going activities of the depart-
ment and should provide students
with opportunities to develop
career-related skills. Students
qualify on the basis of financial
need and work 5 to 15 hours per
week.

Application forms are available
at the Student Placement Office,
Room 2710. The deadline to sub-
mit project applications for the fall
is Aug. 15.

 

 

Events
Calendar

 

Octoberfest in August

Douglas College recreation com-
mittee presents a Crazy Hat bar-
beque on Thursday, August 29th
at 3:00 pm in the Douglas Room.

Menu includes bavarian
smokies, sauerkraut, potato
salad, and hamburgers.

Tickets are $5.00 in advance and
$8.00 at the door. They will be
available shortly from your
fieldbase secretary.

Maple Ridge summer
closure

Douglas College Maple Ridge
Centre (122nd Avenue) will be
closed for a period of two weeks,
Monday, July 29 to Friday,
August 9. The office will open
again on Monday, August 12.

Dewdney Campus will be closed
until August 16.

Student loan workshops

Wed. Aug. 7 1700-2009
Tues. Aug. 13 1300-1606

The above workshops are held at
the New Westminster campus,
Room 2803. The workshops dea]
with Student Loan applications
for Fall 1991 and Spring 1992. For |
more information, contact the
Student Finance Office, Local
5105.

Orientation for
fall semester

Tues. Aug. 20 0900-1300
Wed. Aug. 21 1300-1700
Thurs. Aug. 22 1800-2200