For Uma Daya and her daughter Aleena, a week spent at the Brock Learning Lab (BLL) this summer was nothing short of magical.

“From bubbling purple potions to imagining a script for a fantastical story, the summer program at the Brock Learning Lab sparked creativity and curiosity in Aleena while providing the perfect opportunity to stave off the ‘summer slide,” Daya said.

The Daya family participated in the BLL’s inaugural SummerBoost program, which aims to improve early literacy and foundational numeracy skills for students who have completed junior kindergarten to Grade 2.

The program was created by Faculty of Education (FOE) instructor and BLL Program Co-ordinator Catherine Susin (BA ’17, BEd ’17, MEd ’18) alongside fellow BLL site leads Isabella Favero (BA ’24, BEd ’24) and Montana Nethercott (BA ’23, BEd ’23). All three are Ontario Certified Teachers, Brock alumni and current graduate students at the University.

Offered from July 6 to 24, the program featured different themes including Outer Space, Magical Worlds and Mystery Detective. Activities were delivered through full-group instruction and smaller group settings as well as individualized instruction for each participant.

“Aleena participated in the Magical Worlds theme week, and having professionally trained educators at the helm was an incredible complement to our summer,” Daya said.

As a parent, she felt the program combined the right amount of structure and routine while still incorporating play, fun and a little magic.

“The SummerBoost activities were perfect for the age group and took into account the profound development in children that occurs between JK and Grade 2, including working through big feelings, inclusion, conflict resolution and sharing,” she said.

During the week, Daya noticed her daughter became more curious about multiplication, and was very interested in reading stories to get inspired for the storybook they were to create.

“We are very lucky as a community to have this type of programming available through the Brock Learning Lab. We are grateful not just for the summer learning that occurred for Aleena, but also for the sense of belonging and happiness she felt,” she said.

BLL Director Tiffany Gallagher said the Daya family’s experience is exactly what drives the teams work at the Lab.

“As a staple in the Niagara community for more than 30 years, we are motivated every day to help children and youth thrive in their education and build their skills and confidence, both during the summer months and during the academic school year through our tutoring services,” she said.

In addition to SummerBoost, the BLL offers community-based programs during the school year delivering individualized, one-on-one after-school literacy and numeracy tutoring for learners in Grades K to 12.

The BLL also works with schools across Niagara to provide in-person reading and math support through mentors who work with small groups of students during the school day.

The team is currently recruiting for volunteer tutors for the Fall term running from Sept. 28 to Dec. 3, with tutoring programs running both in person and virtually after school and in the evenings.

BLL Program Co-ordinator Susin — who began at the BLL as a tutor — said the opportunity to volunteer is an opportunity for students across the University to gain experience while making a positive community impact.

“As a volunteer tutor, you get to create an engaging learning plan, interact with children and their families and truly make a difference in their educational journey. You also have the benefit of being trained by our BLL staff in how literacy and numeracy learning techniques for a range of ages,” she said.

Applications are currently open for Fall session volunteer tutors on the BLL website. Families interested in signing their children up for Fall Term tutoring sessions can register online until Friday, Sept. 18.