Thanks to Louise Poirier, professor in the Department of Didactics, and the L’extension centre, children from families in difficulty from Parc-Extension can receive free special education and dental and optometry care.

From the first $2 donation in 2014 from a taxi driver touched by the initiative, to a recent $2 million donation from the Fondation Marcel et Jean Coutu, L’extension has come a long way! Today, the efforts of dozens of student interns are contributing to the well-being and development of many students in the neighbourhood.

Saying they are “proud to make a difference in the lives of children,” Louise Poirier points out that students from different faculties have a unique opportunity to share their knowledge. “Students in optometry can teach students in education to spot the signs that a child needs glasses. And students in education can show their optometry counterparts how to offer children simple explanations of treatments.”

Beyond the educational and health care services they receive, Louise Poirier says that “it is moving to hear young people tell us they want to become a dentist or optometrist, after contact with these future professionals.”

After moving to a more spacious location, and thanks to faculties that keep joining the project, L’extension plans to extend its activities to high school and younger students, increasing its impact in the community. “It’s win-win: the students get training and the community wins,” says Louise Poirier.