Contributed by Christine Wang
The Reading Bear Society (RBS) was co-founded in 2011 by medical student Isabel Chen (Class of 2015), a nurse, and an inner-city school principal. It was founded on the belief that intergenerational mentoring across communities provides invaluable means for building compassion, strengthening empathy, and improving lifelong health outcomes. To date, over 1,300 youth from four high schools and six elementary schools across Vancouver have participated in RBS peer reading visits. This year, the RBS will launch its third year of the program with plans to expand the program to the Kelowna site and Victoria site.
A key reason for the initiative’s early successes is the ambassador program, which has been developing closely with a growing number of medical students. Showing phenomenal initiative, 
ambassadors have launched a semi-annual newsletter, conducted kindergarten and high school orientations, held public speaking engagements, and launched RBS school clubs. Medical students have developed materials for the program via the Self-Directed Project Option. Students have created materials such as a symptom checker for parents outlining symptoms requiring medical attention, educational modules for kindergarten visits, an early literacy activity book entitled My Bear Book, and an online reflective journaling program for peer reading visits. An article describing their work will be published in the Spring 2016 issue of the UBC Medical Journal (UBCMJ). Medical students will be given the opportunity to participate within the new curriculum, flexible and enhanced learning (FLEX) curriculum.
This year, the RBS program will pilot these new materials with the goal of conducting a study to understand the benefits and effectiveness of the peer reading program. This program not only fosters early literacy, but also builds on students’ interpersonal skills in understanding and caring for one another. New this past year was the integration of Grade 12 students from Vancouver College, who contributed by donating books and visiting Queen Alexandra’s StrongStart program to read with the pre-school children. These visits are done under the guidance of a medical student who used the symptom checker as a backbone to share health-related information with parents.
RBS is ready to embrace another year of educating the “heart-mind” and cultivating compassion and meaningful relationships. If our passion is your passion, we are always open for more like-minded individuals to join us!
More information about RBS is available on our website: http://thereadingbear.org/