Ismaili Council for the Prairies

Ismaili Council for the Prairies

Tutor/Coach for PACE

Aga Khan Education Board for the Prairies

Aga Khan Education Board for the Prairies is a community-based Institution which looks after the educational needs of the Ismaili Muslim Community (Birth to Post Secondary) within the Prairies. Many of the student’s services by the Education Board come from immigrant families, some of which may come from low income families.

Program for Academic Coaching and Enrichment (PACE) | Aga Khan Education Board for the Prairies

PACE is designed to be three times a week Tutorial Program that focuses on numeracy and literacy support for students in Grades 1-12. Coaching will be tasks with building foundational skills and by occasionally supporting with homework help.

Who?

Up to five (5) Bachelor of Education students taking EDUC 450 in the Winter semester and looking to work with a culturally diverse community are welcome to support.

What?

Help struggling grades 1-12 students (15 to 17 years old) gain academic success in Mathematics and English Language Arts with the PACE Program.

When?

Mondays from 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM.

Where?

In-Person (Calgary Westwinds Ismaili Jamatkhana, 4669 Westwinds Drive NE).

PACE Logistics


What's Involved

The Program for Academic Coaching & Enrichment (PACE) aims to provide students from high-risk families in the Shi'a Ismaili community a chance for academic growth. The majority of these students come from low-income, new immigrant and large volume households who lack the appropriate level of academic assistance access in order to succeed in their educational goals. 

  • Coaches will be given a training on how to run the diagnostic as well as how to use IXL. An orientation and a training will be before the start of the program.
  • Coaches will be using resources such as IXL and as the Canadian Curriculum exercise books.
  • Coaches will be given a small group of students to work with (usually based on skills).
  • Coaches will begin the program by completing an initial diagnostic for the students in order to see where students are at.
  • Coaches will work with students to build skills with Mathematics and English Language Arts.

 

Requirements

Pre-service teachers need a current Police Information Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening (one calendar year accepted). Students who do not already have a police check should begin this process at their local police station as soon as possible, as police checks often take 4-6 weeks to process.


  • Develop cross-cultural competencies related to language, culture, and place.
  • Examine a variety of approaches to teaching and learning in non-traditional educational settings.
  • Examine how programs develop students’ literacies (e.g., reading, writing, numeracy, and digital).
  • Gain experience working with youth in a classroom setting.
  • Gain experience working with youth in a small group setting.

Werklund Dates and Times

FALL

Applications Open: September 1, 2023

Event #1 - Werklund Student Orientation: November 8, 2023, 2:00 - 3:30 pm

Applications Close: November 9, 2023

WINTER 

Event #2 - Prepare to Launch: January 11, 2024, 9:00 - 10:00 am

Event #3 - Strategies Workshop: February 1, 9:00 - 10:30 am

Event #4 - Wrap up and Reflect: February 29, 9:00 - 10:30 am

PACE Service Dates

  • Instructional Days: January to mid-March.
  • Orientation and Training: Tentative date of training will be one week prior to the start date.
  • Mondays from 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
  • PACE runs September 17th, 2022 to June 15th, 2023 but we understand that due to different semesters for University students, our timings might not align. We encourage interested students to stay on as long as they can before the end of their school semester.
  • The approximate time commitment is 2.5 hrs per week.

Note: In total, pre-service teachers agree to commit to a minimum of 20 hours for their service-learning experience.


Making Connections

  • Throughout the semester, pre-service teachers will curate their volunteering experiences using a creative medium (e.g., photos, art, storyboarding, videos, etc.) that best reflects their experiences in the program. Your creative reflections will form part of a public showcase of Werklund student experiences later in the year.
  • Pre-service teachers will participate in 2 group meetings: one at the mid-point and another at the end of their placement (1 hour each). These group meetings provide pre-service teachers with opportunities to reflect on the community placement experience and to guide improvements for the program.

Applications for the Winter 2024 cohort of the Volunteering with Diverse Communities Program are now closed.