Colin Whaley, MD MSc

Internal Medicine Resident Physician, University of Toronto

HARP ESL Health Lessons



As I helped my mother, an adult ESL teacher, transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, I was impressed by the by the work of Community Legal Education Ontario, which provides free lessons to help teach legal content to adult English language learners. When I learned there was no equivalent for health concepts, I led the creation of these ESL lessons to support ESL and LINC teachers in teaching health concepts to their students, alongside colleagues from the Health Advocacy for Refugees Program Interest Group at McMaster University. By providing these lessons free-of-charge, our goal is to empower teachers to help students become more informed about health and wellness, take more active roles in managing their health and feel more comfortable accessing the healthcare system.