LOYOLA STUDENTS STAR IN AWARD WINNING DOCUMENTARY
Belleville, Ont. February 4, 2021-
The Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board has won another award from the Economic Developers Council of Ontario for a documentary about immigration in the local community. The film tells the story of new Canadians attending Loyola School of Adult & Continuing Education as they make their new life in Canada. (View the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URSyJ4_dShI)
“A Place to Call Home" won the Workplace Development and Resident Attraction Award at the EDCO's virtual conference last week. The film was created by talented local film makers Tess Girard and Ryan J. Noth of Fifth Town Films. The short documentary follows the lives of students from the Loyola School of Adult and Continuing Education's English as a Second Language (ESL) program in Belleville from their first day of class in January to their final Celebration of Achievement in June.
“The focus of our ESL program is really about being the launching pad for life in Canada." Said Robert Gilmour, Principal at Loyola, when speaking about the program earlier this week.
He went on to add that “Instilling hope is a big part of what we do at Loyola. Highlighting every achievement and providing the tools to help students overcome everyday challenges they encounter - such as using public transit, buying groceries, registering for school, or finding a doctor – are some of the most rewarding parts of the job for our educators and staff."
David DeSantis, Director of Education for the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board also praised the work being done at Loyola: “The caring and welcoming environment Loyola provides really feels like a microcosm for how this country accepts and welcomes new Canadians – which also fits perfectly with our current board pastoral theme - All Are Welcome in This Place."
Loyola School of Adult & Continuing Education is part of the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board, and is comprised of five adult learning sites, with ESL programs being offered at the Kingston and Belleville locations. Loyola's site in Belleville is also the only ESL provider in the greater Bay of Quinte area. The ALCDSB serves over 11,000 students across 32 elementary schools, 5 secondary schools, and 5 adult learning sites. Our mission is building faith-filled learning communities where each member is loved, inspired, and successful.
