Twenty-three students in the Foothills School Division are heading into Grade 3 with stronger reading skills after completing a free summer literacy program in Okotoks. According to the Friends of Foothills Schools Foundation, 70% of the children who took part in the three-week Literacy Playground are now reading at or above their grade level.
The program ran on weekdays over three weeks in July at Dr. Morris Gibson School, giving students a boost before a critical year. Grade 3 is when children shift from learning to read to reading to learn, so the foundation focused on engaging activities like Reader’s Theatre, comic creation, word games, and community-based learning to build confidence and skills.
The Literacy Playground is free for families thanks to a $70,000 grant from the Calgary Foundation and support from Cargill, along with ongoing fundraising by the foundation. Over the past three years, the Friends of Foothills Schools Foundation has raised more than $200,000 through grants, events, and donations to fund the program and its SPARK Grants for schools.
The foundation is looking to keep that momentum going at its 3rd Annual Fore Education Golf Tournament on August 20, 2026, at Highwood Golf Club in High River. The event has a goal of raising $15,000 for future literacy programs and school-based grants. Calgary Flames alumni Archie Henderson, Tim Hunter, and Mike Rogers are scheduled to attend, and participants can enter a $10,000 hole-in-one challenge.
For more details and registration, visit the Fore Education Golf Tournament page.
