Do you qualify for free VIU classes?

Starting September 8th, Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) Adult Basic Education (ABE) program is offering a pilot project for parents on income assistance with children under the age of three. Designed to be accessible to students, the program offers free literacy and basic math classes in a downtown location with free child minding, books, bus fare and snacks.

“The courses will cover basic skills that are useful to anyone applying for a job or needing prerequisites to move on to another course,” says Bridget Bruneski, who will be teaching the literacy component of the project. The classes are also a good fit for parents who’d like to be able to read to their children.  “The idea is to help people build the skills they need to move forward in their lives.”

Kim Moes is an ABE student raising two children on her own. She sees this pilot program as a chance for parents to discover themselves. “What an opportunity,” said Moes, whose mother was on income assistance during Moes’s childhood. “My mom always dreamed of going back to school, but she didn’t get the chance until she was almost 50. I think she would have died for a program like this.”

“It’s a chance for the kids to network, even if they are young, and a chance for parents to participate in their kid’s learning later on - to see their homework as more than black lines on a piece of paper.”

Moes is starting her bachelor’s degree in the fall and hopes that her own educational journey will inspire her children to pursue further education. She has kind words for the staff at VIU, particularly Bruneski. “Bridget’s amazing. Her eyes sparkle when she talks about literacy and it helps me to be motivated to see what she sees in it,” said Moes. “She helps literature live. I find her inspiring, compassionate and encouraging.”

Bruneski is excited about the program - she sees it as a potential turning point for students.  “It gives parents of young children an educational opportunity that they may not have had in their lives,” she said. “It’s a chance to get out their homes, knowing that their children are being cared for on site. It’s an opportunity to meet other people, other parents and form friendships, form networks and get some new ideas about what to do next.”

The pilot is a partnership between VIU, the Vancouver Island Health Authority, the Ministry of Housing and Social Development, the City of Nanaimo, the Ministry of Children and Family Development and Nanaimo Youth Services Association.

The program runs Monday through Thursday from September 8th until December 11th, with the math component from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm followed by English from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Students can enroll in one of both of the classes.

Interested parents who fit the criteria should call VIU at 250-740-6425 and ask about the Pilot Project for parents on Income Assistance.