Start2Finish expands LIT Project to school and daycare in Sagamok Anishnawbek FN

A new vending machine offering free, culturally relevant books to students at Sagamok Anishinabek First Nation’s elementary school and daycare has been introduced to students.
Officials say Start2Finish Canada is a national charity founded on the belief that every child deserves the tools to succeed, and its mission is to break the cycle of child poverty by providing educational support to at-risk children.
Start2Finish has expanded its Indigenous Literacy Enhancement Project and Sagamok Anishinabek is the first in the area to receive the vending machine with students receiving a token every month, then make their selection and receive their book.
The project was initiated by Colleen Toulouse, Sagamok Education’s Student Support Program Coordinator who welcomed Brian Warren, the founder of Start2Finish to the launch last Friday.
He says since the pandemic, literacy gaps have widened even more for children from vulnerable communities, and community-led, culturally responsive interventions are needed to address the gaps and give children the tools they need to succeed.
He adds the school, and daycare will receive 2,000 titles per year over the next three years, all written and created by First Nations’ voices.
Sagamok’s lead on this project, Colleen Toulouse, shares, “I submitted the application on behalf of Biidaaban Kinoomaagegamik to Start2Finish in May 2024.
For me, reading has always been encouraged in my home by my parents.
I still to this day, remember reading The Unjust Society by Harold Cardinal when I was young.
He wrote about the realization of our full potential, and that we must be who we are.
For me, reading and writing about ourselves is one way to keep us on the path of reaching our full potential.”
The project is being implemented with the support of the Future Generations Foundation.
The expectation is that every student will go home with books or graphic novels of their choice, every month.
Vance McPherson, Director of Education for Sagamok Anishnawbek adds, “We are grateful for this initiative to put high-quality literature by Indigenous authors in the hands of our students.
We all know that when we get kids excited about reading, we set them up for a bright future on whatever path they choose to follow.
I think that Start2Finish’s approach to supporting literacy is innovative and exciting, and we’re all looking forward to hearing from our students and families about the worlds they will visit through these books.”