Literacy and Numeracy Support for High School ELLs
St. Anne Academic Centre is a post-High School institution that predominantly supports returning grade 12 students. We provide services to 800 students who are either upgrading their education to enter a postsecondary institution or completing high school with a full diploma. We have a significant population of immigrants, 35% are English Language Learners (ELL). St Anne also offers alternative programs such as Kara that supports parenting students, the Fresh Start Outreach program (50 students) which focuses on students whose personal circumstance resulted in disengagement with their education, Self-directed online education, Home education, work experience program, In Person instruction and live online courses with 17% of the students who have Learner Support Plans based on Alberta Education’s coding criteria for students with Diverse Learning Needs.
Through Literacy and Numeracy Support, participating students will assist St. Anne students with their learning in a school setting with the help of St. Anne's highly experienced teaching staff. The program provides numeracy and literacy support for students from a wide range of backgrounds. This program would be a strong fit for students who are flexible, compassionate, and patient, as well as students with knowledge of ELL needs and strong cultural and academic competency.
What's Involved
- Participants will provide 2-3 hours of direct support each week, based on the school schedule and students' availability
- Pre-service teachers will participate in a school orientation and tour (specific time TBD)
- Pre-service teachers will work with students one-on-one or in small groups in non-traditional classroom environments, including St. Anne's "Hub" and the Fresh Start program. Depending on your subject expertise and students' needs, you will provide proactive academic support to students in Math, Science, or the Humanities, with an emphasis on providing ELL support to a diverse group of learners.
- To develop rapport and trust with students, pre-service teachers will work alongside St. Anne staff and will reach out to students who may be struggling. Pre-service teachers also have the opportunity to extend their involvement beyond the end of the program, or to incorporate traditional classroom opportunities as you become more involved in the St. Anne community. Participants may also have the opportunity to contribute to the school's content development based on individual interests and school needs.
Requirements
- Pre-service teachers need a current Police Information Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening (issued after May 1 of the current academic year). Students who do not already have a police check should begin this process online with their local Police station as soon as possible as police checks often take 4-6 weeks to process. Please see the Field Experience Police Information Requirement webpage for more information on how to request a PIC-VS.
- All participants will complete an Occupational Health and Safety orientation as well as an orientation to volunteering with St. Anne and Calgary Catholic.
- Note: While St. Anne is part of the CCSD, students of all beliefs and backgrounds are welcome to support this program.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Apply a variety of teaching strategies to meet the needs of individual learners in different educational settings
- Examine a variety of approaches to teaching and learning in non-traditional educational settings
- Examine how educators apply teaching concepts in their daily work
- Examine how programs develop students’ literacies (reading, writing, numeracy, digital, etc.)
- Gain experience working with youth in a small group setting
- Gain experience working with youth in an individual setting
St. Anne's Dates
- Program Dates:
- Fall: early October - mid-December
- Winter: early January - mid-March
- On-Site orientation: TBA
- Times: St. Anne's classes run from 9:00am-3:00pm. Participants will provide 2-3 hours of direct support each week, based on the school schedule and students' availability
- Students who wish to continue their placement after the program ends are welcome to do so based on their availability
In total, pre-service teachers agree to commit to a minimum of 25-35 hours for their service-learning experience.
Co-Curricular Service-Learning Dates
Fall Semester Timeline
- Fall 2024 Applications Open: August 28, 2024
- Werklund Information Sessions:
- Cancelled; please email wse.experiential@ucalgary.ca with any questions about the Service-Learning program or to arrange for a meeting.
- Fall 2024 Applications Close: September 17, 2024 for smaller programs, larger placement applications are ongoing.
- Fall 2024 Placements Start: early October (program dependent)
- Fall 2024 Placements End: mid-December (program dependent)
Winter Semester Timeline
- Winter 2025 Applications Open: November 15, 2024
- Winter 2025 Information Session: November 26, 5:00 pm (Zoom)
- Winter 2025 Applications Close: Ongoing, program-dependent
- Winter 2025 Placements Start: early January (program dependent)
- Winter 2025 Placements End: mid-March (program dependent)
Experiential Learning Check-In & Reflection Opportunities
All participants in Experiential Learning programs are welcome and encouraged to attend at least two of the check-in & reflection sessions below as part of their program. Reflection is an incredibly important part of experiential learning. It encourages students to consider their experience so far and to adjusted as needed as they go forward through the rest of their program, or into the next step of their career.
Check-In & Reflection Sessions
We've started to all registration for the check-in & reflection sessions on Elevate!
Other Werklund Experiential Learning Events
We have lots of other events and opportunities happening in Werklund Experiential Learning. You can see more information and register through the link below!
Applications for Fall 2025 will open in September!
Interested in applying for a volunteer opportunity?
- Log on to Elevate and go to My Werklund Experiences > Courses/Programs
- Find the Service-Learning program and click Apply
- Complete the Service-Learning Application
My biggest highlights were seeing how students of differing skill levels approached classroom materials. It was also great to see the ways in which teachers developed relationships with students and used their bond as a way to create a positive learning environment.
St. Anne Participant
I felt my experience with students was really fulfilling. I learned a lot about building supportive student relationships and I have a huge amount of respect for the St. Anne's system. I was always challenged with my students as I was supporting them, which gave me a lot of opportunities to learn how to work outside my comfort zone.
St. Anne Participant