Supporting Literacy and Learning on Newfoundland and Labrador's Bell Island

Northpine Foundation has invested in a Boys and Girls Club Bell Island initiative to help children stay engaged, active, and supported during the summer months.

The program responds to learning loss, food insecurity, and limited access to structured recreation, offering a low-barrier mix of literacy, numeracy, sports, healthy meals, and social development for the children of the area.

The initiative will serve school-aged children each summer and use baseline and end-of-program assessments to track their progress, offering participants team projects, and outdoor exploration, and opening up leadership opportunities for older youth to mentor younger participants.

The goal is to help Bell Island children return to school healthier, more confident, and better prepared to succeed. This investment could also build evidence for a model that could be replicated in other rural Newfoundland and Labrador communities.