Foundations Learning & Skills Saskatchewan (formerly READ Saskatoon) has a long history as a local literacy organization that offers free learning opportunities to adults and families.
Since 1979 we have provided adult tutoring services with the help of trained volunteers and community partners. Today we have expanded to offer adult, family, children’s, and financial literacy programs, as well as literacy facilitator trainings and resources.
Foundations Learning & Skills Saskatchewan’s Vision:
All Saskatchewan communities and individuals have equitable access to quality learning opportunities so everyone can fully participate and thrive.
Foundations Learning & Skills Saskatchewan’s Mission:
We provide foundational literacy, learning, and skills development for adults, children, and families through the work of staff, trained volunteers, and community partners.
We are relentless in bringing our vision and mission to life because:
- Everyone has the right to learn, regardless of age.
- Strong literacy skills are not attained by chance.
- Communities have a right to responsive and effective literacy programs.
- Lifelong learning habits contribute to strong and resilient communities.
- Our own cultural perspectives are limited and therefore we will not make assumptions about the experiences and cultural expressions of others.
Foundations Learning & Skills Saskatchewan’s Programs
Fit the Learner
Our literacy programs range from confidential adult one-on-one tutoring to adult group literacy skills training to programs designed for parents and families.
Fit the Volunteer
Volunteers are trained and receive on-going support from our staff.
Fit the Community
Foundations is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of individuals who value literacy and care about the impact low literacy has on individuals and families living in our community and our province.
Foundations Learning & Skills Saskatchewan’s Staff
Sheryl Harrow-Yurach
Executive Director
[email protected]
Favourite Book: The Diviners by Margaret Laurence. In my early 20s I discovered this book. A couple decades later, its strong, resilient characters coupled with the prairie scenery remains my favourite read.
Sheri Porrelli
Program Manager, Adult & Financial Literacy
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Favourite Book: Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. This was the first book I read by this author, and I was amazed by how she could write such a moving story while incorporating such fascinating neuroscience.
Rachael Sutherland
Program Manager, Children’s and Family Literacy
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Favourite Book: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. This a recent favourite of mine, I liked the way the book explores the concepts of loneliness and solitude through the eyes of a young woman living and working in Glasgow, Scotland.
Cecilia Mryglod
Office Manager
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Favourite Book: Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. I was immediately transported in time and I could see and smell the things he described. I was invested in the characters and I couldn’t put it down.
Cathlin Berndt
Communications & Events Coordinator
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Favourite book: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. The book is so beautifully written and is a very moving story. I love the unique perspective of the narrator and the descriptive language. It is also historical fiction which is one of my favourite genres.
Jocelyn Hofmann
Senior Financial Literacy Coordinator
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Favourite Book: The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. I love this book because it made me think of the impact, good or bad, people have on your life.
Lindy Carter
Financial Literacy Coordinator
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Favourite Book: Nice Big American Baby by Judy Budnitz. This short story collection changed the way I felt about magic realism, about political writing, and about fiction in general in all its many shapes. Over the years, I’ve read these stories many times. As I’ve grown and changed, somehow, like magic, they seem to change too—revealing new perspectives on our complicated, beautiful, surprising, and formidable world.
Claire Sereda-McShane
Financial Literacy Facilitator
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Favourite Book: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. The descriptive writing within this book quickly captured my attention. I enjoyed how themes of love, loss, and friendship were represented through Klara’s eyes.
Caitlin Wall
Senior Children’s Literacy Coordinator
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Favourite Book: The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton. This book introduces readers to an unforgettable character, who I continuously had to remind myself was fictional. Dawnie Walton establishes herself as a unique and powerful voice that confidently uses her Black, female perspective to tell a complex tale about politics, music, and systemic racism that spans decades. Even days after finishing this book, I still had to convince myself that the characters and situations in it were not real.
Becca Abbott
Children’s Literacy Coordinator
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Favourite Book: Kids These days: A Game Plan for (Re)Connecting with Those We Teach, Lead, & Love by Dr. Jody Carrington. Dr. Carrington explains the influence relationships, communication, and (re)connecting has on the development of children. This heartfelt, informed celebration of children and those who love them highlights the importance behind building relationships with children. This book is funny, relatable, grounded in research, compassionate and inspiring.
Michelleanne Atchivara
Children’s Literacy Coordinator
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Favourite Book: The Saga of Darren Shan book series by Darren O’Shaughnessy. These were the very first books I read as a teenager, and it’s essentially what got me into reading today.
Yuan Yuan
Children’s Literacy Program Assistant & Office Administrator
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Favourite book: The Courage to Be Disliked by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi. For me, this book represents a journey of self-healing. Whenever I feel lost and confused, the dialogue between the ‘youth who despairs of life’ and the ‘philosopher of humorous wisdom’ provides me with subtle clues to navigate through the current challenges. Every time I read it, I can’t help but wish I had discovered this book earlier!
Charlene Siwak
Senior Adult Literacy Coordinator
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Favourite book: Projections and the Short Story Advent Calendar by Hingston & Olsen Publishing. These short story collections have become favourites of mine because they include culturally diverse literature and have introduced me to authors from around the world. I love these stories because they have authentic characters, engrossing plots, and can serve both as mirrors and windows to different human experiences and perspectives.
Kayla Schneider
Family Literacy Coordinator
On Maternity Leave
Favourite Book: White Oleander by Janet Fitch. I attribute this book to my passion for working with vulnerable families. It was gifted to me from my grandmother who is very special to me.
Nazneen Akhter Ahmed
Family Literacy Coordinator
Favourite Book: Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini is a short but powerful book I fell in love with when it first came out and have read many times since. It is a letter and prayer from a father to his sleeping son with whom he is embarking on a dangerous journey to flee a war. He recounts the beautiful life they left behind, for once they don’t know if they will live to see the sunrise, the father can do nothing but pray. Sea prayer made me value the small things we often take for granted in our lives.
Anita Fengstad
Family Literacy Coordinator
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Favourite Book: Something from Nothing by Phoebe Gilman. This books reminds my of my mom who could fix anything.