During 2003, we provided financial assistance to a number of organizations that make our communities better places to live and work.
Envision’s funding is based on a community investment model that reserves 6% of pre-tax, pre-dividend income averaged over the previous five years. In 2003, we invested approximately $504,000 in community initiatives, not including community donations made by the Envision Credit Union Charitable Foundation.
Envision’s dedication to the communities it serves goes beyond providing money to worthy causes. It is a commitment to develop and to implement programs that promote healthy communities through innovative partnerships.
Business-education partnerships for learning
Business-education partnerships are mutually beneficial relationships between employers and educators. These partnerships enhance learning for students and all involved.
Since starting this initiative, Envision has partnered with school districts in Surrey, Abbotsford, Langley and Delta. Among the programs we sponsored in 2003, two new programs helped young readers boost their word power: Rec’n Reading in the Langley School District and the Envision Success program in the Abbotsford School District.
The partnering that underpins these programs is designed to enhance co-operation between the partners through a focus on shared ideas, programs, facilities and other resources. Both the Langley and Abbotsford programs were successful in giving children a terrific start on lifelong learning and education.
Rec’n Reading in Langley
Rec’n Reading is a 16-day summer program for children at risk in their reading development. Developed in the Langley School District and funded by Envision, the program enabled 234 children to participate in a variety of valuable literacy activities in summer 2003.
Rec’n Reading reinforces the skills and strategies necessary to help children in the target six- and seven-year-old age group become independent readers. Every student receives group reading instruction and each day is allotted time to independently read their guided story to an adult. The program also provides recreational activities, such as scavenger hunts or picnics.
The results are impressive: Grade two participants’ overall average reading levels improved 35%, and the average reading levels among grade one pupils increased 52%.
Envision Success program in Abbotsford
The Envision Success program is an early intervention kindergarten literacy program held at Jackson Elementary in Abbotsford. Begun in 2002, it concluded with the 2003 school year and was attended by 21 students, 14 of them all-day and 7 of them half-day participants.
The program differs from conventional all-day kindergarten programs where students take morning classes with one teacher and then join an afternoon class with a different teacher but cover the same material. With Envision Success, there is only one teacher, and the afternoon content is different from that offered in the morning. The program also provides a framework for student-centred learning, enabling the instructor to respond directly to a child’s individual needs.
At the end of the year, 4 of the 14 all-day students were reading at the target level for a student completing grade one. And all of the children improved their language skills and now see themselves as readers and writers.
Envision Jazz Festival raises the roof
Envision has a strong commitment to community arts and culture. In 2003, we were honoured to partner with the Surrey School District for the first time as title event sponsor of the Envision Jazz Festival.
The festival helps to raise funds for music programs throughout the Surrey School District and to showcase the talents of young musicians. Some 2,500 secondary school jazz musicians competed and performed with professional musicians in Surrey’s 1,000-seat Bell Performing Arts Centre in 2003.
Held over three days, the festival provided superb entertainment to thousands of jazz lovers, including two sellout concerts. It also offered exceptional learning opportunities. Students attended educational workshops, performed, competed in six jazz category competitions and received evaluations from professional adjudicators.
Envision looks forward to continuing its sponsorship of this worthwhile community event. The professional environment and format stimulates students to strive for excellence. It encourages students, moreover, to listen and to learn co-operatively as audience members. As an extension of Surrey’s classroom music curriculum, the festival offers an extraordinary opportunity for students and teachers to celebrate musical accomplishments.