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The 69传媒Faculty of Education officially launched an Island-wide literacy and numeracy outreach project on Friday, November 18, 2022.

The project is supported by a generous donation of $750,000 from Master Packaging. In recognition of the company鈥檚 support, a plaque will be placed in Memorial Hall, where the Faculty of Education is housed, at the entrance to the educational learning commons, which now includes updated resources made possible through the project. 

The project, which takes a play-based and inquiry-led approach to children鈥檚 learning, is a coalition of partners, including Master Packaging, the Faculty of Education, the PEI Department of Education and Lifelong Learning, STEAM PEI, and the PEI Public Library Service.

The ultimate goal of the project is to support literacy and numeracy education on Prince Edward Island. Its objectives are to create opportunities for literacy learning in children that are supportive, playful, and recognize them as unique whole beings with hopes, dreams, and identities, and to focus on the needs of children who could benefit from additional supports to supplement mainstream educational offerings. 

鈥淢aster Packaging has proudly supported literacy initiatives on the Island, and we鈥檙e thrilled to support this important outreach project as 69传媒works towards providing better futures for our province,鈥� said Ms. Mary-Jean Irving, CEO of Master Packaging. 鈥淚mproving these skills builds self-confidence and creates opportunities that would otherwise not exist. This allows individuals to obtain more meaningful and fulfilling jobs.鈥�

69传媒Chancellor Catherine Callbeck thanked Ms. Irving for her support of the project, noting that 45 per cent of Islanders between 16 and 65 have low literacy skills. 

鈥淯PEI鈥檚 Literacy Outreach Project will help those Islanders and make a real difference in their lives and the lives of their families,鈥� said Callbeck. 鈥淭hat is why I am so proud to be part of this exciting announcement. This initiative would not have been possible without the incredible gift from our guest of honour, Mary-Jean Irving.鈥�

Dr. Greg Keefe, interim president and vice-chancellor of UPEI, also expressed his appreciation to Master Packaging for supporting the project.

鈥淥n behalf of UPEI, I thank Master Packaging and Ms. Irving for their support of this important project,鈥� said Keefe. 鈥淚t is essential that children learn and develop strong literacy and numeracy skills from an early age. These skills are the building blocks of their future success鈥攊n their education, their careers, and their development as contributing members to society.鈥�

With funding from Master Packaging and the PEI Department of Education and the support of the PEI Public Schools Branch and Island schools, the project held its first pilot program in July and August of this year鈥攆our eight-week play-based summer camps for 53 children in Georgetown, Hunter River, O鈥橪eary, and Summerside. 

鈥淭hey [camp participants] lost themselves in their play so much so that they forgot about the task of learning,鈥� said project manager Emily Cook-McDonald. 鈥淏ut they were learning every minute of the day.鈥�

Cook-McDonald said the project is now offering play-based early childhood programs in collaboration with the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre and STEAM PEI. 

鈥淲hen we observe the young children and parents alike, we see engagement, curiosity, wonder, and the hunger to learn more. It is still early days in our early childhood pilot, but I can tell you the response has been very encouraging.鈥� 

This winter, 69传媒education students at 69传媒will work with schools to provide tutoring support to students who need it most, she said. In the future, math workshops will be offered for children in grades five to eight, and programs will be developed for adult learners.