BC gives $2.16 million
This funding will create new childcare spaces for the School's Out program at the Whitevalley Community Resource Centre
The Province of BC gives $2.16 million to support Lumby’s families
Lumby’s families have a reason to warm their hearts! The Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) received $2.16 million from the Province of British Columbia’s Child Care BC New Spaces Fund, also supported by the Government of Canada.
Thanks to this funding, the Whitevalley Community Resource Centre will be able to accommodate the needs of the families in the growing Lumby community, including 54 childcare spaces!
Since it started in 2022, School’s Out has had 61 participants ages 6-12 in the region. Through the Future Leaders program, four youths from Lumby have been gaining work experience and skills development by working with the School’s Out program.
“One of our Future Leaders was teaching the staff and children in Lumby’s School’s Out Program how to speak Dutch. They all found it so fascinating that her first language isn’t English. She shared stories with them and told them about her life before moving to Canada, which kept the children very engaged,” said Anna*, from the Whitevalley team. “She told the kids all about her journey and what it took to become a Canadian citizen. She explained that they are so lucky to live where they do and how grateful they should be. It was a wonderful teaching moment and great to witness!”
We’re so excited to see this transformational impact on child and youth programming, like Lumby’s School’s Out program.
Learn more about School’s Out: https://uwbc.ca/program/schools-out/
Learn more about Future Leaders: https://uwbc.ca/program/future-leaders/
* Name is fictitious.
Photo credits (sources):
https://lumbyvalleytimes.ca/rise-in-covid-cases-leads-to-delay-in-reopening-the-white-valley-community-centre/
https://www.rdno.ca/our-communities/rdno-news/lumby-schools-out-afterschool-and-summer-camp-program-gets-funding