Repulse Bay (Jun 14/06) - Kids in Repulse Bay are strengthening their reading skills with some help from an unlikely source - a bastion of Canadian post-secondary education almost 2,000 km to the south.

Two students from Queens University, Susan Longworth and Sophie Barbier, are in the Kivalliq hamlet this summer teaching students how to improve their reading and writing.

"This boosts their self-esteem and helps them become more confident," said Barbier.

The students teach the basics of reading and writing to between seven-15 kids each day. The 10-week program accepts children from six to 13-years-old with a wide range of reading abilities. Attendance though, can be sporadic and the university students are working closely with community members to broadcast the importance of literacy, said Longworth.

"The reception has generally been positive. We're trying to get (kids) to see literacy in a positive aspect. It can be fun," she said. The 21-year-old Longworth just finished her third year in psychology and education while Barbier, 22, graduated this spring with a psychology degree.

They are the latest Queens undergrads to come to Nunavut. The Kingston, Ont., university has been sending students to the North since 2000 as part of its project on international development.

Barbier and Longworth have teamed with two Inuktitut-speaking community members, including Sharon Milortok, to help the students learn their mother tongue as well.

"The kids are really liking it," said Milortok, who leads students through a series of reading, writing and storytelling exercises. "And I like teaching them."

The program could also have long-term benefits for a region always on the hunt for teachers. Barbier is going back to school this fall to pursue her bachelor of education degree and is considering coming North when she graduates.