Ignite stays open

Ignite stays open

by Jordan Sargeant

A Regina adult learning centre was about to close its doors until the community rallied around them. 

Ignite Adult Learning Corporation, a place for adults to complete their high school education, was scheduled to close on Sept. 30 due to a funding shortfall.

Ignite’s funding was cut from $580,000 to $250,000 in the provincial budget, according to a CBC report. 

But on March 5, the centre announced, “Our doors will be staying open!” on its Facebook page. 

The announcement followed a grassroots campaign involving faculty, students, and community supporters, which successfully convinced the province to fill the funding gap.

“We are very grateful to the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training and the Ministry of Justice for working with us on this, as well as everyone in the media, and our NDP MLA Nicole Sarauer. I did not expect this response from the community, so we are very, very grateful,” said Ignite executive director Dellice Saxby.  

Ignite serves students who, for various reasons, were unable to finish their high school education. 

After Ignite reached out to their MLA, Nicole Sarauer, they were invited to question period at the legislature, where Sarauer asked questions about Ignite’s government funding.

While they were not able to meet with anyone personally that day, the deputy minister and assistant deputy minister of the Ministry of Immigrant and Career Training visited Ignite the following day to discuss their needs.

“We are the only place (serving those) with additional learning needs or who have any school-type-related trauma, or just huge gaps in their education,” said Saxby.  

Ignite graduate Kristy Shaw from Piapot First Nation said she once led an unstable life but now works at an MLA office thanks to the first supportive steps she took under Ignite’s programs.

Ignite gave her self-confidence to move forward. “I do have a voice. I am intelligent. I do have potential. And I’m also okay as I am right now,” she said. 

The program’s revival was good news to Shaw.

“I’m feeling grateful that more students can go through that amazing program at Ignite that they have…They have incredible teachers that are really focused on helping their students reach their goals, and even encouraging them to pursue their dream past Ignite,” she said. 

Saxby said Ignite’s holistic approach contributes to the success of students like Shaw. 

“We have all sorts of wrap-around supports that support people to get safe and stable housing, food to eat, working with addiction recovery, counciling, personal development, and workplace employment skills,” she said. 

“I think at Ignite we’ve been able to build something…and there’s just something we’ve been able to build here that doesn’t exist in the school system,” said Saxby. 

“It’s a really beautiful process to watch someone who’s had so many negative schooling experiences who start to understand that they are smart, and they can do things and they can build the life that they want.”