Chris Puglia
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 25/02) - Sabrina Anderson and Cassidy Menard tore the flashy green and red construction paper from a giant package in the J.H. Sissons gymnasium.

If it wasn't for the school atmosphere you'd think the two kindergarten students were at a birthday party last Friday.

Instead, the two girls were helping to unveil a new learning tool being distributed across the NWT by the departments of Education, Culture and Employment, Health and Social Services and the NWT Literacy Council.

Beneath the wrapping were brightly coloured backpacks, a treat to any youngster. Inside the packs are tools to promote and develop literacy.

"It's a wonderful gift. It's the gift of learning. It just opens so many doors," principal Paul Bennett said during a special assembly to distribute the backpacks.

The backpacks are a $190,000 initiative that was developed under the 2000 Early Child Development Action Plan.

"We're launching the backpacks now...they've been distributed across the territories. Some kids have them. Some communities are in the process of delivering them.

Nearly 1,500 backpacks will be assembled and given out over the next three years. This year 500 will be distributed.

Inside the packs students and families have access to books and other literacy materials.

"We are encouraging parent-child interaction, family literacy and early literacy skills," said Gillian Moir, early child school services co-ordinator with ECE.

"Inside we have books by Northern authors and stories about the North."

"It's exciting. It's a great opportunity for the kids. It's a great way to encourage reading," said Simone Goudreau, J.H. Sissons librarian.