Blog

12Jun 15

Meeting of The Minds

0 Comment

READ Saskatoon works hard to support our volunteer tutors and learners. Many participants in our Adult One-to-One Tutor Program face challenges involving transportation, time, and child care. One way we can help the learning pairs be successful is finding meeting spaces that are convenient and user-friendly. READ Saskatoon is committed to working with community organizations to make this possible, and with their help, we have several great public spaces located throughout the city where learning pairs are welcome to meet.

The Saskatoon Public Library has a long and strong history of supporting READ Saskatoon learning pairs. Eight Saskatoon Public Library branches are located throughout the city. They are often a short distance from learners’ homes, and/or are easily reached by Saskatoon Transit. Our tutors and learners have shared that SPL staff are welcoming, informed, and extremely helpful about locating learning materials. Some library locations also have ‘quiet’ spaces which can be booked ahead, which can be very helpful for learners who find noise and/or movement distracting.

We are also very excited to add a new space. White Buffalo Youth Lodge has offered to share their wonderful space with our tutor and learner pairs! All are welcome, and we encourage our learning pairs to check out this great facility (including the fantastic free daytime parking!) White Buffalo Youth Lodge also offers child care at various points throughout the day, which may allow a learner the free time needed to focus on working with a tutor. Here is what one of our tutors had to say about their first experience working at the White Buffalo Youth Lodge:

“Yesterday was the first time I worked with my learner at the space offered to READ Saskatoon tutors and learners at White Buffalo Youth Lodge. What a great and welcoming space! Not only is parking available, but the staff were friendly and the room we used was private and free from distractions. The best part was the warm reception – we don’t even have to book ahead; just arrive to front desk and say that you are a tutor and learner with READ Saskatoon and they will open any available room for you. Can’t wait to meet there again next week!”

We also would like to hear your ideas on other spaces and places to learn together. Have you had a great experience with a public space you would recommend to our tutors and learners? To share your story, or for more information, we are just a phone call away at 306-652-5448. We would love to hear from you!

In the meantime, we hope that all of you are enjoying both your learning journey and the summer.