UVic Centre Reaches Out To Meet The Needs Of Children

Today the University of Victoria’s Faculty of Education opened the doors of its Centre for Outreach Education (CORE), a new multidisciplinary centre dedicated to enhancing the education of children and youth from our local communities whose needs are not being met through schools and current government programs.

“With larger than ideal class sizes, reductions to special education, and changes to the delivery of services offered by children’s agencies, youngsters are falling between the cracks,” says Dr. Jillian Roberts, associate dean administration. “As a registered psychologist, I see children every-day who struggle to get the support they need in today’s public schools. CORE will address the needs of children and their families to help them succeed in school and life.”

“CORE connects UVic and the Faculty of Education with children and families within the community in ways that promote and support learning,” says Dean of Education Ted Riecken. “Connecting like this around teaching and learning is part of the shared mandate of schools and universities. Although the centre will initially offer on-campus programs, plans are in place to also provide outreach services in local Indigenous and rural communities for those children and youth unable to travel to the centre.”

CORE was launched with a generous bequest from an anonymous donor and will offer a variety of services, free of charge, to children and youth who need it the most. Faculty members from the Faculty of Education will provide their expertise along with graduate and undergraduate students specializing in teacher education, counseling psychology, kinesiology, and recreation and health education. This will provide the students with real-life experience in the area of their university studies.

The centre’s inaugural programs will include:

• CORE Club—an afterschool program that teams local schoolchildren with education faculty members and student teachers for reading and homework assistance
• InclusionWorks!—helping young adults with developmental disabilities to make the transition from high school into the work world
• Tools for Success—a tutoring program for children living with epilepsy, run in partnership with the Victoria Epilepsy and Parkinson’s Centre
• CORE Fun—an afterschool program that provides a variety of extracurricular activities – drama, artwork, yoga, music, nature presentations – to children on a rotating basis.

CORE is expected to initially enrol 50 participants in its programs. To learn more about CORE, its programs and how to donate, visit: www.core.uvic.ca or call 250-853-3503.
 

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