Relationships with school boards and schools are crucial to the success of our Letters, Sounds and Words program. We are honoured and thrilled to have been the recipient of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board’s 2014 Community Partner Award. Our Letters, Sounds and Words program began as a community project in 2001 with volunteers using handmade games and activities to coach a small number of primary children in one school in Waterloo Region. The program now reaches more than 2,500 children annually and to date, has helped more than 20,000 children acquire early literacy skills. We are incredibly proud of our relationship with the WCDSB and humbled by their kind recognition of our partnership. The WCDSB hosted a beautiful event on May 6th, recognizing and celebrating their award recipients, service milestones and this year’s retirees. Thank you to the WCDSB Board Trustees, Staff and Volunteers for your continued generous support of Strong Start and our Letters, Sounds and Words program.

In photo (from left to right): Larry Clifford, Director of Education, Steve Cameron, Board Chair, Strong Start Charitable Organization, Machelle Denison, Executive Director, Strong Start Charitable Organization and Peter Reitmeir, Vice-chair, Board of Trustees.