Smore Skills an immediate success for Strathmore Library

By John Watson Local Journalism initiative Reporter

The Strathmore Municipal Library is offering crash courses in essential life skills to people who feel they might need a helping hand to find their footing – so to speak.

“Smore Skills is a brand-new program at the library, we’re just midway through our first session. It’s an opportunity for individuals who might face challenges in their life to get the help that they need on areas that they feel are a concern,” explained Tammy Nischuk, literacy coordinator at the library.

“We help people with communications, management, study skills, goal setting, all of those kinds of things that you and I might take for granted, but other people might not have a foundation in.”

She explained due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, people have been sequestered for extended periods of time and are no longer used to interacting in the community like they used to.

These skills, she added, are important to landing a job and being able to restart effective lifestyles.

Smore Skills, as it is called, is run through SAIL (Strathmore and Area Adult Inclusive Learning), which is a program designed to help people who have foundational life challenges to improve their literacy and be ready to learn.

The program is grant funded by Alberta Advanced Education and launched at the end of October. The second session is scheduled to begin in December. 

Nischuk said the community has so far been extremely receptive and those who have signed up seem to be enjoying the experience. 

“I think one of the biggest things that’s coming across is that individuals are so happy to be able to attend a session in person and be able to have the time to explore the different pieces of their lives in a way that is holistic and very gentle,” explained Nischuk.

“Nobody needs more pressure right now, we’re just looking to make a human connection and to help people discover the skills and strengths that they already have, bring them to the table and build the pieces that they might be missing right now.”

Attendance to the classes is confidential and the program itself is geared to focus on the people who are in attendance on an individual basis, as each person will have their own needs that are to be addressed. 

“Everything we do is learner centered. What serves you best might not serve me best and our facilitators are really experts at helping people discover the areas where they have skill gaps and helping them fill those with functional skills for everyday life,” said Nischuk.

“That might look like learning how to write an email or asking for time off in an effective way. It could look like learning skills for the workplace like organizing yourself the night before your next shift.”

The library does charge a commitment fee of $30 for those who are interested in signing up for the program, though scholarships are available if that fee presents a barrier to some from being able to sign up.

Smore Skills is open to anyone in the Strathmore and Wheatland County area and meets once per week. Those who are interested can sign up in person, over the phone or online.