Sarah was a Summer Reading Camp counsellor and a Lieutenant Governor's award recipient in 2018.

"I had no idea when I arrived at Fort Albany what I was walking into. I was full of excitement and wonder. It turned out to be a Summer that helped shape who I am as an educator, but most importantly it was an incredible experience seeing Fort Albany’s young people fall in love with reading. I began camp by having students sit in a circle while I walked around to each one and lightly planted imaginary ‘love reading seeds’ on top of all their little heads. I told them that I had infused these seeds with brave energies and shared with them my personal struggles with reading when I was their age. They watched with uncertainty and some even objected to the seeds as they shared that they certainly did not love reading. I asked them if I could plant one anyways, and that they could decide later if they wanted to water their seed or not. Some said no, and some said “OK!" Later that day, as children were waiting in line for snack, I overheard their conversations about what their seed looked like and what it would look like when it bloomed. I heard one of the youngest campers say “I wonder how I will water my seed?” Her friend responded, “You have to be brave and eat the applesauce the teacher made us."   

So you may be wondering how did campers water their seeds?

The selection of children’s books is what metaphorically watered the many seeds I planted on that very first day, accompanied by craft supplies that sparked campers imaginations and STEM materials that evoked the scientist within all participants. I would say that the majority of campers were “struggling readers”; Struggling readers can be a challenge to motivate. Infusing seeds with Brave energies helped, but the camp materials and resources are what truly watered those seeds. As I became more familiar with all the literature provided, I was relieved and excited to see that we were well equipped with high quality books from a wide range of authors, illustrators, genres, and forms. I was also excited to lead read-alouds with some of my personal favourites, like the Narwhal and Jelly books, by Ben Clanton, and a book by Shelly Becker called “Even Superheroes Have Bad Days..  

As the weeks went by, campers who had said no to the “love reading seed” were changing their minds and a few asked me to plant the same seed in their brain. One of my favourite moments was hearing one of the campers at the carpet whispering to me and another camper “I actually felt my seed grow in my brain.” The other camper responded, “Oh mine has a flower already! It’s huge! It’s a sunflower, but a rainbow one."

I would often begin read-alouds by sharing with campers the book I had read the night before,. This was my way of encouraging campers to take books home to read.  Through this, I learned that many campers didn’t have many books at home, or if they did they would say, “They are old and not interesting.” Every time I heard this, I would send them home with seven. The collection of current and diverse multicultural literacy provided is what encouraged campers and their parents to read at home! Popular texts drew the campers in, which then gave me an entry in providing important reading practices, while encouraging campers to read for pleasure. What more could we ask for? So with my passion for teaching and all the supporting materials provided, by the end of camp the majority of campers seemed to be more confident and motivated to read. Some parents shared that their kids were demanding story time at home-- “which is unusual” as one parent put it, or “it’s the new usual” as I put it.  It was at that moment that I felt the “love reading seeds” had definitely bloomed in Fort Albany’s Community!

Love reading seeds weren’t the only thing blooming in Fort Albany; connections between community members, the land and myself were also blooming each day. Within just a couple of days of being in Fort Albany, a band office member gave me a tour of the whole community and also took me to see the Albany River, the youth site, and the beautiful Anderson lookout, from which James Bay can be seen. Fort Albany First Nation is a Cree First Nation community, situated on the southern shore of the Albany River, and is accessible by air and a winter road. One of my most memorable experiences was Cree Fest. I helped build teepees with a group of community members that welcomed me into their traditional practices and took time to teach me about the Cree culture.

As a camp counsellor, I had the opportunity to build these unique relationships with learners and community members, and I had the chance to impact and be impacted. Through this experience,I was able to see the realities of life for Indigenous people in Canada. Learning about Indigenous peoples, their lands, history, language, and culture has been the greatest educational experience I have ever had. I feel grateful for the opportunity to have worked as a Lieutenant Governor’s Indigenous Summer Reading Camp Counsellor and for being placed in beautiful Fort Albany."

Inspirational Stories