Four and a half years ago, a conversation with a friend prompted Ernie Nuytten to apply to volunteer at Immigrant Centre Manitoba. The opportunity to help newcomers felt like a worthwhile endeavour and after a 41-year long career as a schoolteacher, he certainly had the skills and experience that the Centre needed, so he was hired as a One-on-One English tutor. 

Since then, Ernie has been a consistent, dependable volunteer who to date has helped eight students, and returns every year to offer his assistance. Ernie has worked with students with varying language levels, cultural, educational, and professional backgrounds, and is always willing to step up when called upon.

While the language goals of his student are always foremost in his mind, English classes with Ernie are not just about learning the language. He enjoys talking to his students about family, cooking, sharing and even trying different recipes. These topics help him connect with his students and bring a level of comfort to their classes. The learning process is certainly not one-sided. With his first student for example, one of their English classes was actually a cooking class, where his student taught him how to make dumplings.

Volunteering at the Immigrant Centre is just one of Ernie’s many interests. He is an executive member of his curling club and enjoys fishing, tai chi, yoga, and acting as a volunteer driver for Harvest Manitoba, so we are very grateful to him for taking the time to help our clients. “As long as I am able to fill a need and contribute, I will keep coming back”.