On May 5, 2018 two teachers from Western Quebec School Board’s Pontiac Continuing Education Centre (PCEC) will be going on a humanitarian mission to San Jose de Ocoa in the Dominican Republic.
Susanne Poirier and Heidi Hall will be volunteering on pediatric units, rehabilitation centres, hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, women shelters, soup kitchens and home visits.
The vision for this adventure is to give back, initially internationally by participating in this effort but then to pay it forward and bring students from the Pontiac.
Poirier and Hall will be partnering with New Frontier’s School Board and one of their vocational Centres in Chateauguay, Que. New Frontier’s students have been going on this mission for the last seven years.

Poirier and Hall hope to bring a group of healthcare students from the Pontiac Continuing Education Centre’s new healthcare program in the future. They hope that students can experience helping those in need on a local level, but also globally.
This venture would allow for a greater understanding of cultures, international health issues, hands-on experience and perhaps have new insight and empathy into what our immigrant population experience.
This opportunity is largely being financed personally because they strongly believe that it will have an impact on their students as such, donations would be greatly appreciated. Here is a link to their Gofundme page.
https://www.gofundme.com/nursing-teachers-go-international. Donations can also be made in person at Pontiac Continuing Education Centre, 89 Centre Street, Shawville, Que.
Submitted by Heidi Hall