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Pioneers deliver 2,000 books to local schools

Oct 27, 2017 | 10:16 AM

Students in Prince Albert and the area won’t be short on reading material thanks to a book donation from the SaskTel Pioneers.

Michael Vancoughnett, president of the Prince Albert SaskTel Pioneer chapter, said their volunteer group partnered with First Book Canada to deliver roughly 2,000 books to schools in Prince Albert, as well as rural schools and First Nations in the region. First Book Canada provided the books, Vancoughnett said, and the Pioneers paid for and arranged their delivery.

“The resources help to elevate the quality of literacy programs,” Vancoughnett said. “They help to enrich the learning experience for children in need. They also help teachers to create new curricula.”

Most importantly, Vancoughnett added, the donation will help instil a lifelong love of reading into young learners. This year’s books are targeting middle-year students, he said, and the books are currently in their warehouse wrapped and waiting to be delivered over the coming days.

Vancoughnett said the province-wide literacy partnership is now in its third year, and will provide about 20,000 books to schools all across the province.

Robert Bratvold, director of education with the Sask. Rivers Public School Division, said the donation helps meet an ongoing need. Research has shown the value of not only school libraries, but also in-classroom libraries, he said, which the donation will help supplement.

“There’s always a need for current and appropriate books for kids of different ages and reading levels,” Bratvold said. “It’s an amazing thing when an organization like the SaskTel Pioneers are taking care of kids in schools.”

Bratvold said the Pioneers are very thoughtful in their donation. Rather than simply collecting and donating as many books as possible, he said the organization tries to target a specific age group every year. Last year’s donation was mainly for the early grades, he said, while this year’s books are largely aimed at middle-year students.

 

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