Creative Writing

ECALA releases an annual Impact Report highlighting the effect our funded agencies have on the adult foundational learners within their communities. The complete 2022-2023 ECALA Impact Report can be found here.

Learner Stories

“Shiffa shared that she was very shy to talk to other parents when she dropped off her child at school because she was afraid to make mistakes in front of them. Because of the speaking activities we did in the class, she feels more confident and talked to other parents at school and made some good friends.

She was very happy that she can talk to people and can start a conversation.  She has also volunteered at her daughter’s school, so she can communicate much better with the staff and children at school now. Her confidence in her communication abilities has been increased and reflected positively on her regular attendance and learning progress.” – Canadian Arab Friendship Association

“Salima shared that she had trouble communicating with her children’s teacher to discuss the problems or concerns. Whenever there was a parent-teacher meeting, she could not discuss her children’s issues or questions she had with the teacher.

After taking these classes this session, she has gotten much better in her communication skills that she discussed and spoke to the teacher about her children with some hesitation which made her really happy and proud of herself.” – Canadian Arab Friendship Association

“The most transformative skill to come out of our cooking program was not a cooking skill. This learner is Deaf with some cognitive delays. She is a keen learner and loves to show you what she has learned. We knew that the format of our cooking program would be a challenge for her as technology is a struggle for her. She had recently purchased an iPad and had no experience in how to use it.

We began by teaching her how to open an email before she could even participate in the program. With the help of support staff at the group home and patient instructors, she was able to figure out the basics of using her iPad. These skills transfer over to all areas of her life and she is now learning about the internet and completely blown away and excited!” – Connect Society – Deafness, Education, Advocacy and Family Services