The Portage la Prairie School Division has received a significant boost for the French as a second language revitalization program from the federal government. They received two grants, the first for $21,000 and the second for $5,000 to improve their programs. Assistant Superintendent Mike Mauws says they're excited about the funding, especially because the larger of the grants will help them hire a French mentor to work with the division's basic French teachers.

"There are a couple of programs the French mentor is familiar with, and we've started to implement a couple of resources that she's very familiar with. Part of it will be to work with classroom teachers in becoming familiar with those resources, how to implement them in the classrooms. That will certainly be one of the focuses."

Change is also on the horizon for the school's French programs, and Mauws says the mentor can also be an asset in that transition. He notes there's a new basic French Curriculum, and the person hired to the role can work with the teachers to ensure the transition is smooth. While the grant is only provided on a year-to-year basis, Mauws is still excited about the potential noting it has been beneficial to their basic French teachers so far.

Mauws says the $5,000 grant will also help the division improve their programs, by allowing the schools to purchase materials and access resources.