(rdnewsNOW/ Ian Gustafson)

By Ian Gustafson

Educational program

Reading College sets all-time high with 77 graduates

Jul 25, 2025 | 3:04 PM

Nearly 80 Grade 2 students graduated from Reading College at Red Deer Polytechnic on Friday morning.

In front of their peers and family members, 77 students walked across the stage in the main gymnasium and accepted their diploma after completing the month-long program.

Sue Carmichael, Reading College program co-ordinator, said it’s a wonderful way to end the 20 days.

“I feel very emotional right now just because these kids that come in, they struggle, and a lot of them picked up some pretty darn good skills,” she said following the ceremony.

“It changes them and going into Grade 3 it won’t be nearly so hard for them. Everyone worked so hard and it’s not even just the Reading College community, the people at the college have been outstanding, the caterers have been outstanding, and our sponsors have been outstanding. It takes so many people to make this work and I’m exceptionally grateful.”

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(rdnewsNOW/ Ian Gustafson)

The amount of students in Reading College this year was an all-time high for the program that started 14 years ago.

Carmichael said when the program first started they had 64 students but they have been slowly growing it every year.

Part of the increase this year she said was the addition of it’s new pilot program that helped kids read and write who’s second language is English.

“I have no complaints about this year, it was a banner year. The kids this year were amazing individuals and they were very kind. They really wanted to be here and learn,” Carmichael added.

The Reading College is a free summer program put on by the Foundation for Red Deer Public Schools that strengthens literacy skills of students.

The program is specifically designed for Grade 2 students who are heading into Grade 3 and struggle to read at the Grade 3 level.

Students are bussed to and from the program at Red Deer Polytechnic and provided breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Morning sessions focus on reading, writing, and word work in a small classroom setting and in the afternoon, the class reads stories, works on sight words, and do fun activities.

This year’s Tim Horton’s smile cookie campaign raised $80,773 locally in benefit of the Reading College.