Today's story comes from Julia Rivard Dexter of Loon Lake, Nova Scotia.

Like many children, Julia struggled with reading. This would become a source of strife and insecurity for the young girl, until she found her fit in competitive canoe kayaking. In the world of sports Julia excelled. Her dedication and commitment would lead her to the top of her game, and eventually, the Olympics in 2000.

After the games, it was time for a new challenge, so Julia threw herself into entrepreneurship. At the time, her son Max started to have his own struggles with reading. Not wanting Max to feel the same insecurity she had felt in school, Julia would go to found and launch Squiggle Park, a learning platform that gamifies literacy education. The goal at first was simple: find a better way for her own son to learn how to read. The impact, however, became much larger than that.

This fresh, fun approach to learning was embraced by students and teachers alike, and since launching in October 2016, Squiggle Park has grown to be used in over 12,000 schools.

Presented by Charm Diamond Centres

Hosted by Nancy Regan

Produced by Podstarter

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