Learning Buddies Network
PO Box 27544 Oakridge Post Office V5Z 4M4 Vancouver, BC, Canada

Did you catch our blog post the other day on Maintaining Good Health? Here's your chance to use that new knowledge. Be sure to register for the Scotiabank Virtual Half Marathon (or 5km or 10km) to support LBN and work on your physical and mental health! Register today here: https://bit.ly/3wBwpkR (and if you missed our blog post check it out here: https://bit.ly/3v6xUpU) #learningbuddiesnetwork #volunteer #learning #education #nonprofit #mentalhealth

Join the LBN recruitment committee in our interview with a LBN program mentor, Humaira Daud! See the interview in this video: https://youtu.be/sjBLI1HiRQg

Many have heard the phrase health is wealth, but what does it mean to be healthy? While the definition of healthy may vary among individuals, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. Although many may feel that it is too hard to maintain good health, Christian San Juan breaks down this misconception in our latest blog post where he shares information about healthy everyday behaviours that can help to improve your physical, mental, and social well-being. Check out the link in our bio to read the post! Check out the blog here: https://www.learningbuddiesnetwork.com//b8341oghv9rg7ax3xa #learningbuddiesnetwork #health #healthybehaviours #volunteer #nonprofit

New Volunteer Spotlight! Meet the 2020 LBN Scholarship winners, Samantha Tang, Jessie Wu, and Ava Daeipour, in our new blog post: https://www.learningbuddiesnetwork.com/2020scholarship #learningbuddiesnetwork #scholarship #mentor #volunteer #nonprofit #education

Run for LBN in the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon's Charity Challenge! You can choose your race distance - 5km, 10km, half-marathon (or all three!!) and run any time between June 2 and July 5. Last year, LBN participants raised over $15,000 which went a long way to improve children's literacy and self-esteem. LBN will receive 100% of the funds you raise and if you fundraise $200 or more, your race registration fee will be reimbursed. Even if you're not a runner..., don't worry! We are here to help with training tips leading up to race month. Register at https://raceroster.com//2021-scotiabank-vancouver-half-mar. #ScotiaCharityChallenge #runScotia #ScotiaHalf #learningbuddiesnetwork

Girls to the Power of Math is a program that works on building confidence in math for Grade 3 girls. It is a 10 week program starting in September and we are looking for mentors who are interested in participating! Applications are due March 15th! Apply here: https://learningbuddiesnetwork.campbrainstaff.com/ #mentor #girlseducation #stemeducation #volunteeropportunity

New Volunteer Spotlight! Introducing Valentina Ramírez, a volunteer mentor at the Learning Buddies Network. Read her full interview on our blog: https://www.learningbuddiesnetwork.org//f0bl8wbv6xvho6wpfg (or link in bio) #learningbuddiesnetwork #mentors #volunteer #learning #education #nonprofit

Learning Buddies is excited to announce our new partnership with Girls to the Power of Math! Girls to the Power of Math is a 10 week program targeting Grade 3 girls. It focuses on building confidence in math by working on skip counting and multiplication skills through fun games. Girls to the Power of Math was inspired by research done in Vancouver schools by Alexa Bailey and Dr. Toni Schmader showing that confidence in math declines significantly in girls in elementary scho...ol. Beginning in September 2021, this program will be offered to girls in Grade 3 and 4 who want to have fun with math. Girls will learn in groups with a maximum of 10 girls with 2-3 mentors per group. For more information, to register for the program, or to become a mentor for this program, visit: https://www.learningbuddiesnetwork.org/girls-to-the-power-o #learning #math #mentor #volunteer #education #girlseducation #Girlsstem #funmath #funmaths #mathanxiety

Registration for the next session of LBN's Reading Program is now open! The program starts February 1st and spots are limited, so register today! If you are unfamiliar with our reading program, elementary school students who are struggling with reading are individually paired up with a local high school or university student. The pairs meet twice per week via Zoom. All mentors are trained in the fundamentals of reading and follow a curriculum that incorporates phonemic awaren...ess, phonics, sight words, and reading fluency. If this is something your child would benefit from, registration is quick and easy to complete! https://learningbuddiesnetwork.campbrainregistration.com/ #mentor #reading #registration #volunteer #nonprofit #learning #education

From all of us at LBN, we are wishing you a happy, healthy, and promising New Year! Kick-off 2021 by applying to be an LBN Mentor! The application deadline has been extended to January 8th. https://www.learningbuddiesnetwork.org/mentor-application-f #learningbuddiesnetwork #math #reading #mentors #volunteer #nonprofit #learning #education

From all of us at LBN, we wish you and yours a very happy and safe holiday! #happyholidays #volunteer #nonprofit #learning #education

New Blog Post!! Check out our latest post Beyond Headlines: News Sources for Kids by Gabrielle Wong on our blog! Gabrielle speaks on the importance of exposing young children to reliable news sources to further develop literacy and provide them with opportunities to become lifelong learners. From conspiracy theories to radical opinions, it’s safe to say not everyone on the internet is a reliable source of information. One way we can build media literacy and develop lifelong... learners is by exposing elementary-aged children to news sources. Gabrielle explores various news source options for children, giving informative reviews so that parents are able to provide the best source for their child! https://www.learningbuddiesnetwork.com/beyond-headlines-ne/ #learningbuddiesnetwork #mentors #volunteer #learning #education #nonprofit #parentresources #newsources

Today we remember all those that served our country which granted us the peaceful world in which we live in today. Our soldiers' sacrifices will never be forgotten. Thank you for your service for our country. In Flanders Fields by John McCrae... In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

Meet the LBN Team! ""I always struggled with math as a kid. I never enjoyed it and I was always distracted by other things. Every year math became more difficult, and I was even less motivated. I had plenty of fantastic teachers but they could never inspire me to love learning math and feeling confident in doing it. I watch so many kids come through our programs at Learning Buddies that remind me of myself back then. I watch as they gain confidence and excitement about learni...ng that many kids will never have. For me, Learning Buddies is about relationships. We're giving a young kid the chance to work with a cool University or Highschool student who not only teaches them how to improve their math or reading, but listens to them talk about their day. Giving a kid a positive role model they can look up to is so important for their success. We know that kids who struggle with their reading or math at a young age continue to struggle in later years. We know they're more likely to drop out of highschool or not pursue post-secondary education. We know that intervention in Elementary school is key, and we can support kids who would otherwise go on to struggle in their later years of school. If I had the funding, every elementary school in British Columbia would have a Learning Buddies program." ~Joshua Millard, Operations Manager #learningbuddiesnetwork #mentors #volunteer #learning #education #nonprofit

Meet the LBN Team! "As a retired elementary school teacher I saw many children that just needed some extra support to become better readers. This program offers just that! Children that are a little behind in their reading skills can get the extra support they need to become better readers through this program." ~Beverly Hamm, Lead School Liaison #learningbuddiesnetwork #mentors #volunteer #learning #education #nonprofit #onlinelearning #resources

Meet the LBN Team! "I truly believe that education, learning, and knowledge are the keys to making positive change in the world. This is why I am passionate about the Learning Buddies program. On the one hand, it gives a hand up to children who need a little bit of extra support developing their reading or math skills. On the other hand, it also develops the skills of the mentors who are supporting their buddies. In the end, meaningful relationships are developed, and all participants are empowered to reach their full potential." ~Alison Costa, Marketing & Communications Manager #learningbuddiesnetwork #mentors #volunteer #learning #education #nonprofit #donate #onlinelearning #resources

LBN truly is like no other mentoring program in the Lower Mainland. Here, close connections between each mentor and their buddy are formed that allow the youth coming into our program to move past mental barriers and know that they have hope. These buddies look up to our older volunteers not as tutors, but as mentors - mentors with the capability to completely alter the perspective that these students have on a particular subject. Too often I have seen buddies who are incredi...bly intelligent come into our programs with nothing holding them back aside from their learned helplessness. These buddies do not benefit from the worksheets and textbook-based teaching that schools offer, instead, they seek sympathy and yearn for anything to gain more confidence. It is our mentors that offer this friendship. The rewards from this program are gained not only by buddies but also the mentors and coordinators that volunteer their time. Through my 7 years of experience with the Learning Buddies Network, I have moved through both math and reading buddies, volunteering as a mentor, coordinator, senior coordinator, and now executive coordinator. Ultimately, volunteering for this program has taught me skills that I now employ both in social and professional settings. As a mentor, I learned how to work with youth, how to find a balance between friendliness and assertiveness, and I positively impacted the life of a struggling third Grade student. Though the responsibilities of being a coordinator are far greater than those of a tutor, it is through managing my own programs that I have come to learn valuable leadership and interpersonal skills. Above all, it is the people in this program that make volunteering with it so rewarding. Through this program, I have gotten the chance to connect with peers of varying backgrounds; whether it is a high school student or university graduate, the volunteers that contribute to this program all have one thing in common - compassion. See more