ADDICT FOUND LIFE ON THE SCHOOL SIDE OF THE STREET

The lowest point in Damon McCredie's life came in his 20s, when the
drug-addicted east Vancouver man was in jail and sobriety forced him
to recognize the jarring bleakness of his life.

"That's when I had enough clarity to realize what was happening in my
life," said McCredie, now 32. "Basically every kid that I grew up
with, and ran with from the age of 13 on, they're all dead now as a
result of drug overdose or violent death."

Having dropped out of school at 13, used drugs and been in and out of
correctional institutions since a teen, the odds were stacked against
McCredie's finding academic success.

He found it, however, at Street School in Kamloops. Opened in October
2006 in the basement of the New Life Mission outreach centre, the
Street School program caters to marginalized adult populations who
would probably have difficulty in traditional school settings.
Partnering with local recovery houses and mental health facilities,
the program's outreach worker helps students transition into more
stable lives through education and literacy.

The school grew from 10 students and one graduate in its first year to
350 students and 42 graduates this past year, according to coordinator
and national literacy award-winner Pete Grinberg, the lone teacher at
the school in its earliest days. He also teaches at Kamloops Regional
Correctional Centre (KRCC).

Street School has since moved into a larger space at St. George's
Anglican Church and is run by Grinberg, outreach worker Tonia
Gillespie, a support worker, a full-time teacher and about 10 retired
volunteer teachers.

McCredie took classes while incarcerated at KRCC and met Gillespie
after being released into a treatment centre in 2009. "Tonia came by
almost immediately and basically just corralled me into Street
School," McCredie said with a laugh. "She wouldn't take no for an
answer. She said, 'You've come this far; there's no point in stopping
now.' "

McCredie is now a year-and-a-half clean, with a steady job, fiance and
a child on the way. He is three course units away from receiving his
Grade 12 diploma from Street School.

"They made it really, really easy for me because I was able to
transfer the work I had done at KRCC immediately to Street School,"
McCredie said. "The other thing is, I wouldn't be where I'm at today
if it wasn't for the fact they allow me to work at my own pace. I'm
pretty excited about the things that I've done."

Grinberg said the most satisfying part of his job is seeing
transformations like McCredie's.

"It's amazing when you see someone who doesn't seem very salvageable
be able to make huge changes in their lives and move on and do the
good stuff in life," he said.