Cole Harbour Foundation

THE TUTORING PROGRAM OFFERS FREE MATH AND LITERACY TUTORING TO CHILDREN IN THE GREATER COLE HARBOUR AREA. EACH STUDENT IN THE TUTORING PROGRAM IS PROVIDED WITH TWO 60-90 MINUTE TUTORING SESSIONS A WEEK THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. CURRENTLY, OVER 100 STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM. IN ADDITION, THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES CLASSROOM FACILITIES AT TWO LOCAL COMMUNITY CENTERS, SUITABLE TO HOLD 3-5 SIMULTANEOUS TUTORING CLASSES. ALL COLE HARBOUR FOUNDATION TUTORING PROGRAMS ARE OPEN TO ANY STUDENT WHO ATTENDS ANY OF THE SEVENTEEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN THE GREATER COLE HARBOUR AREA. THE ORGANIZATION HAS BUILT A TEAM OF NINE PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS AND HAS TRAINED THEM IN SPECIFIC EARLY LITERACY AND MATH CURRICULUMS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FREE TUTORING PROGRAMS. TEACHERS ARE ASSISTED BY FIVE VOLUNTEERS RECRUITED FROM THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.

THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IS OPEN TO STUDENTS WHO GRADUATE FROM THE EITHER COLE HARBOUR DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL OR AUBURN DRIVE HIGH SCHOOL OR WHOSE PARENTS ATTENDED ONE OF THOSE SCHOOLS. THE ORGANIZATION AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS OF UP TO $CAN 8,000 (ROUGHLY $5,900 USD) PER YEAR FOR UP TO FOUR YEARS TO STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED TO A UNIVERSITY OR COMMUNITY COLLEGE.TO DATE, THE ORGANIZATION HAS AWARDED 197 SCHOLARSHIPS, TOTALING OVER $146,000 (USD) IN SUPPORT OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAMS. NINETY-FIVE OF THE ORGANIZATION'S SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS ARE CURRENTLY WORKING TO COMPLETE THEIR DEGREES WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF COLE HARBOUR FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS. IN ADDITION, FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO MAY NEED EXTRA ASSISTANCE TO HELP THEM SUCCEED AND MATRICULATE THROUGH UNIVERSITY, THE ORGANIZATION OFFERS ADDITIONAL TUTORING SUPPORT WHICH ALLOWS FOR ONE-ON-ONE TUTORING SESSIONS.

THE ORGANIZATION WORKS WITH TEACHERS IN THE TWENTY SCHOOLS IN THE GREATER COLE HARBOUR SERVICE AREA TO IDENTIFY AND PROVIDE NECESSARY CLASSROOM MATERIALS. TEACHERS CAN REQUEST SPECIFIC ITEMS FROM THE ORGANIZATION AND THE ORGANIZATION'S STAFF WORK WITH THEM TO REFINE THEIR REQUESTS AND IDENTIFY CLASSROOM MATERIALS WHICH CAN MEET THEIR NEEDS. THE CLASSROOM MATERIALS ARE THEN SOURCED, PROCURED, AND DELIVERED TO THE SCHOOLS.

THE BOOK GIFTING PROGRAM MAILS AGE APPROPRIATE BOOKS TO CHILDREN FROM BIRTH UNTIL AGE FIVE IN THE GREATER COLE HARBOUR AREA. THE ORGANIZATION RECRUITS FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN TO SIGN-UP FOR THE PROGRAM, AND ADMINISTERS A DATABASE OF SUBSCRIBED FAMILIES ALONG WITH THE NAMES AND AGES OF THEIR CHILDREN, ADDRESSES, ETC. EACH CHILD RECEIVES A BRAND NEW, AGE APPROPRIATE BOOK EVERY MONTH TO PROMOTE LOVE OF BOOKS, READING AND EARLY LITERACY. PARTICIPATING CHILDREN START RECEIVING BOOKS AT BIRTH, FOR THEIR PARENTS TO READ TO THEM; BY THE AGE OF FIVE, MANY OF THESE CHILDREN ARE ABLE TO READ THE BOOKS THEY RECEIVE ON THEIR OWN. THE ORGANIZATION WORKS WITH THE DOLLY PARTON IMAGINATION LIBRARY AS A FULFILLMENT PARTNER. SINCE INCEPTION, OVER 3,700 CHILDREN HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE BOOKS PROGRAM. CURRENTLY THE ORGANIZATION MAILS OUT OVER 2,400 BOOKS EVERY MONTH TO CHILDREN WHO ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLED. OVER 145,000 BOOKS HAVE BEEN MAILED OUT TO CHILDREN SINCE STARTING THE PROGRAM IN 2016.