RTO/ERO Project - Service to Others is a Provincial RTO/ERO (Retired Teachers of Ontario/les enseignantes et enseignants retraités de l’Ontario) program which provides grants to Districts for initiatives which support the concept of "Service to Others".

The intent is to raise the profile of retired teachers by visibly demonstrating to active teachers and to the public-at-large that retired teachers care about their communities and about public education, and are willing to do something to help those who need assistance.

OKP is receiving an RTO/ERO Project-Service to Others grant to develop a series of French handouts and French home programs to be made available to parents/caregivers/agencies working with children in the District of Nipissing.  This information is not currently available commercially in a specific French format to meet individual needs and the linguistic/cultural gaps in service.

This project will take place for 12 weeks during May—August, 2007.  Melanie Guillemette, a bilingual university summer student planning on studying in the allied health profession field has been hired to gather the information and work with therapists Natasha Roy, SLP; Louise Summersby, PT and Carole Pigeau, OT to develop new programs in French and prepare existing English programs to be sent for translation.

It is hoped that French language retired teachers will volunteer to proofread the information for readability and correct spelling and grammar appropriate to the language and reading level of parents and the general community.