CCA has long recognized that literacy and learning are vital to individual and community well-being. We also recognize the many educational barriers that individuals in our neighbourhoods can face.

Over the years, CCA has responded by providing a number of initiatives to support removing these educational barriers. CCA has recently renewed our focus on literacy and learning. We have hired a Learning Coordinator to help us provide deeper support for literacy and learning initiatives as we strive to build learning opportunities into all aspects of our programming.

Fry Family Foundation Scholarship Program

CCA is committed to helping our community members in their pursuit of obtaining post-secondary education.

The Fry Family Foundation has generously supported CCA and the five Community Centres in this goal since 2006. The Fry Family Foundation (FFF) is a private, U.S. based organization founded and funded by Darryl and Marlene Fry, who were born and educated in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.

They partner with CCA to award annual post-secondary scholarships to youth and single parents living in our Community Centre neighbourhoods. To date the FFF has provided over $500,000 to support the scholarship program.

Homework Haven

Since 2005, CCA has provided homework support for youth living in our Community Centre neighbourhoods. The objective of the Homework Haven Program (HH) is to provide a safe and nurturing learning environment where youth in grades 7-12 can get help in any school subject area.

CCA supports the Community Centres to provide accessible, consistent, and flexible homework support with different schedules and program offerings based on the needs of their neighbourhood youth.

HH provides youth and their families with opportunities for successful learning and, in doing so, helps to alleviate the day-to-day stresses faced by families coping with schoolwork. This, in turn, enables them to have more time and energy for more positive aspects of family life.

Additionally, the increased success in school helps the youth build self-confidence and develop a positive self-image, helping them to find success in life and supporting successful future employment.

Youth Achieve! Literacy Program

Since 2012, CCA has supported literacy programming in our Community Centre neighbourhoods with the Youth Achieve! Literacy Program (YA!). YA! offers intensive one-on-one literacy supports, tailored to the individual strengths and needs of our participants.

Supporting 25 school-aged youth and employing 5 tutors with backgrounds in education and significant experience in literacy instruction, YA! provides up to 1250 hours of invaluable one-on-one instruction in literacy interventions each year.

The program is a vital resource in helping the youth in our Community Centre neighbourhoods build successful and sustainable futures.

In the 10 years of YA!, we have seen consistent improvement in our youth’s literacy skills. Along with increases in literacy skills, students frequently report increased self-confidence and stronger mental health both in and out of school.

Many students have finished the program with improved attitudes towards reading and education.