Help 30 first-generation learners begin school

Five months into the new school year at AIC's Education Outreach Centre, our littlest students have truly blossomed into a confident gang! Equally, the mothers have realized that the weekly sessions are a combination of fun and learning, for them and the children alike, and have even been requesting more frequent classes (twice a week instead of once a week).

"It is a great escape from our daily rut of household responsibilities," says the mother of two-year-old Twinkle. "And it gives us a wonderful opportunity to learn and have fun watching our children learn, which is otherwise rare."

Playground teacher, Vaishali, can not stop raving about the transformation that she has seen in the children - from timid toddlers, many of whom refused to leave their mothers' laps, to boisterous, active children who bring down the roof when they participate in nursery rhymes, dances, and hilarious multi-lingual skits. Volunteer Valerie has been an asset to the class, and another former volunteer, Nelia, even Skyped after returning to Canada so that she could participate via live video feed and give long distance feedback on lesson plans and activities. Bhanu, a caregiver at AIC, and a former playgroup mother, has moved into the role of assisting Vaishali and the volunteers with classroom support. 

So far this year, the children have been exposed to a wide range of activities for the first time, including:

• fingerpainting
• making shapes with play dough
• lacing buttons onto a string
• puzzles
• stamping
• yoga and relaxation
• basketball
• "fishing" with magnets
• playing with water, sand, seeds

Vaishali, who also teaches the AIC nursery class, is excited knowing that this bright, active lot will graduate from playground in six months and will enter the AIC nursery class next June with their little minds full of knowledge and their little feet walking proud, confident steps!