Camille Kamapeu Kpan – Québec
Camille Kamapeu Kpan is a literacy student at the Découvreurs Le Phénix Adult Education Centre. Born in Côte d’Ivoire, Camille emigrated to Liberia in 2002, where she and her family lived as refugees. Upon her arrival in Canada in 2015, she began completing francization studies. Her rapid progress led her to enroll in a literacy program, where she distinguished herself through her immense desire to learn. She can now speak, read, and write in French and has mastered enough arithmetic to be able to work as a grocery store cashier. Camille aims to obtain her high school diploma and then to pursue her studies in order to become a nurse, her dream profession.
LaVera Schiele – Saskatchewan
LaVera Schiele is a family literacy volunteer whose passion for family literacy has impacted organizations and families for more than 27 years. LaVera has demonstrated a consistently innovative, forward thinking and community minded approach when developing family literacy programs. She recognizes that improving literacy is a community effort and has made it a priority to include Elders and educators in building community literacy programs. Throughout her 27 years of volunteer work, LaVera has maintained an unwavering dedication to improving family literacy programs. She is a strong advocate for literacy programs in the community of Prince Albert and continues to be involved in developing innovative approaches to reduce barriers for those who want to access literacy programming.
Ted Ackerman and Louie Smith – Yukon
Kwanlin Dün Elder Louie Smith and Ted Ackerman are a unique tutor-learner pair. Through their relationship, both have become tutors as well as learners. Age 86, Louie was raised on the land speaking Southern and Northern Tutchone. English is his third language. Ted volunteers as a tutor with Yukon Learn. He began working with Louie in March 2016, helping him fulfill his lifelong dream of learning to read. Through the process, Louie began teaching his tutor traditional stories and history. Ted has even picked up some Southern Tutchone. The pair meet twice a week at the Kwanlin Dün Kenädän Ku House of Learning. With permission of the First Nation, they have so far preserved well over 100 traditional stories of Yukon First Nations’ history.
– 30 –
For more information:
Thaïs Martín Navas
Manager, Events and Communications
Council of the Federation Secretariat
Office: (613) 563-4066
Cell: (343) 961-5811
[email protected]