All Posts – Page 12 – The Big Sky Centre for Learning and Being Astonished Inc.

Two Summer Student Positions

April 24, 2017/0 Comments/in News

We are currently looking for two energetic individuals to join our Program Coordinator to plan, implement, and evaluate a summer literacy program. These are full-time employment opportunity to be a part of our Astonished! Summer Staff.

Please send a cover letter and resume to BCV@beingastonished.com with the subject ‘Summer Employment’.

For details and application click here….

Get your application in by 12:00pm on May 8th, 2017!

Inspiration ~ April Newsletter

April 17, 2017/0 Comments/in E-newsletter

Inspiration: the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative. Our April newsletter is filled with stories and events that we hope will inspire you. You can read it here.

PHOTO A! Student Researchers L-R: Avery Ottenbreit, Rebekah Lindenbach, Kennen Dorgan, Kelsey Culbert, Kaitlyn Hoar, Sean Davis

100+ Women Who Care Regina

April 15, 2017/0 Comments/in News

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

100+ Women Who Care Regina are living into this quote and making a difference in our city.

Thank you to 100+ Women Who Care Regina for choosing Astonished! as their charity to support at their March 2017 meeting. We are honoured to be the recipients of their support. On April 12, 2017, Sharlene Arklie, Founder and Chair of 100+ Women Who Care Regina, presented a cheque for $16,100 to Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous, Executive Director of The Big Sky Centre for Learning and Being Astonished! Inc. Sharlene Arklie said “Thank you for all of your hard work to empower the young adults of your organization to achieve. Your work is truly life-changing and inspirational!”

We are honoured that our work was chosen by these incredible women!

100+ Women Who Care Regina is a community organization located in Regina Saskatchewan. It brings together fabulous women from Regina and the surrounding area who care about their community. At their meetings, after hearing three charities tell them how they are working to improve our community, they jointly select a charity to support.

Thank you 100+ Women Who Care Regina, you are changing the world.

PHOTO: Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous and Sharlene Arklie

The Gift of Asking and Responding

April 13, 2017/0 Comments/in Literacy

Their time together begins with conversation. Kennen asks Jill how she is and what she has been doing. This evolves into more inquires about the status of Jill’s upcoming household move. Kennen brings her listening skills and her inquiring mind to her literacy session. Jill brings her love of supporting learning, and helping Kennen achieve her goals. Kennen and Jill are together because they are both good at asking and responding.

Jill Dempsey is an Arts Education student, with a focus on Visual Arts, at the University of Regina. Kennen Dorgan is a Student Researcher in the Astonished! Teaching and Learning Centre. They meet on a regular basis to strengthen Kennen’s literacy skills. Kennen wants to become skilled in reading and typing, with a specific goal in mind; she wants to be able to text with her sister Lynice who lives in Alaska.

Jill and Kennen’s relationship began with asking and responding. Kennen asked for assistance in literacy and this request was conveyed by e-mail from the Astonished! staff to University of Regina students. Jill saw the e-mail and thought this would be a good match for her. Jill had worked as an educational assistant in Lethbridge and she knows the importance of various forms of communication, including written literacy.

Kennen has this to say about her literacy sessions, ‘I like everything, and I am half-way to my goal.’

Thanks Jill and Kennen.

Photo: Kennen Dorgan and Jill Dempsey

National Volunteer Week April 23-29, 2017

March 30, 2017/0 Comments/in Volunteers

April 23-29, 2017 is National Volunteer Week . Volunteers are essential to Astonished! and we want to celebrate our volunteers. Kaitlyn Hoar, Astonished! Student Researcher, is organizing our 2017 volunteer appreciation event. One of Kaitlyn’s goals is to expand her event planning skills so this is a perfect opportunity for her. Kaitlyn is teaming with Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous, A! Executive Director, to plan and host a volunteer appreciation event Thursday April 27, 2017 from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm at The Owl at the University of Regina . When asked how she plans an event like this Kaitlyn responded that she begins at the end, imagining the event, who is there, what it looks, sounds, and feels like, what people are eating and drinking (in this case it will be appetizers and beer), and how much fun everyone is having. She then plans the details to make the imagined event a reality. When asked about her biggest challenge in planning an event, she responded ‘the budget’, this made us laugh as we can all appreciate this particular challenge. Thank you to all our Astonishing volunteers. Volunteers keep your eyes on your email for your invitation in early April.
We hope you will join us on April 27th.

PHOTO: Kaitlyn Hoar and Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous

Introducing Amanda and Kelsey

March 29, 2017/0 Comments/in Student Researchers, Volunteers

Amanda Mahoney is a graduate of the University of Regina (U of R) with a Degree in Kinesiology with a major in Human Kinetics. She is currently working on her Bachelor of Education (Middle Years) (U of R). Amanda realized she loved teaching kids how to be healthy and work-out, thus her commitment to a second degree. Kelsey Culbert is an Astonished! Student Researcher, and a student in the University of Regina Campus for All. Together they make a great team.

They meet weekly to work on two areas Kelsey has identified need strengthening: her comfort and competence with her new laptop, and her skills driving her power chair.

Kelsey was familiar and comfortable with her previous computer but when she upgraded to a new operating system she found it frustrating (many of us know how that is). Amanda and Kelsey work together to adapt the laptop to Kelsey’s needs, for example creating short-cuts on the desktop for the apps Kelsey uses regularly. Kelsey loves the portability of her laptop because she can now study anywhere.

They also practice wheel-chair driving on the track at the Paul Schwann Centre, University of Regina. Amanda says it is easy to team together because Kelsey is very clear about her needs. For example, Kelsey identified that she has problems staying to the right when she is driving so the track practice is helping her strengthen her driving skills.

Amanda is a volunteer with Astonished! but both Kelsey and Amanda say this is more like friends hanging out. Thanks Amanda and Kelsey.

PHOTO: Amanda Mahoney and Kelsey Culbert

Our Latest News

Two Summer Student Positions

100+ Women Who Care Regina

The Gift of Asking and Responding

National Volunteer Week April 23-29, 2017

Introducing Amanda and Kelsey

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