Topic > Poverty in Saskatchewan - 1239

The Conference Board of Canada has predicted that Saskatchewan will lead the country in economic growth in 2012. According to a February 2012 press release from the Government of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan is currently “experiencing the strongest economic growth in Canada: a 3.9% increase in real gross domestic product (GDP). (add citation)Although our province is experiencing strong economic growth, many people in Saskatchewan are not benefiting from the economic boom. According to the Canadian Council on Learning “some adults and their families may experience chronically low wages, unemployment, poverty and social exclusion” (2009, p.7) due to low levels of education. . Our students are typically young, poorly educated Aboriginal women who continue to live in poverty. According to the Schoolplus document, poverty is a “contributing factor to a major tectonic challenge to educational balance”. (p.11) The School Plus document also notes that while poverty is not unique to Saskatchewan, there is a “painful juxtaposition between need and abundance” in Saskatchewan (p.11). The tectonic issues at North West Regional College (NWRC) include all the factors identified by SchoolPlus and are all interconnected. Food availability and nutrition are a huge concern. The reality for some of our students is the juxtaposition of obesity and the underlying reality of student malnutrition due to low-quality food. “Overweight students get very little sympathy for malnutrition, but malnutrition is real and can affect students' academic, social and professional outcomes. Lack of access to healthy choices was identified by students at North West Regional College as an area of ​​concern. In a meeting in June 2011 a student stated that also...... middle of paper...... Brendtro, L., Brokenleg, M., & Van Bockern, S. (2002). Recovering young people at risk: our hope for the future. IN: National Education Service.Thomas, J.W. (2000). A review of research on project-based learning. SanRafael, CA: Autodesk Foundation.Knowles, MS (1975) Self-directed learning. A guide for students and teachers, Englewood Cliffs: PrenticeHall/Cambridge. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience.NY:Harper Perennial Modern Classics.Burns DJ,Reid JS,Toncar M,Fawcett J,Anderson C. Motivations for volunteering: The role of altruism. International Review of Public and Nonprofit Marketing2006;3(2):79-91Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Statistics Canada. Building on our skills: Canadian findings from the International Survey of Adult Literacy and Skills, 2003.