For LEARNINGO, laughter in classrooms isn’t just playtime—it’s progress. These moments of joy, curiosity and connection represent a step toward more inclusive education for people on the autism spectrum or with diverse learning needs.

Emily Robar, Executive Director of LEARNINGO, talks about growth in the organization and its programs. With a background in kinesiology, Emily began eight years ago as an assistant for participants in the program.

“We started in 2016 with the vision of creating recreation and learning spaces where participants of all ages can thrive,” explained Emily. “A large percentage of our participants have autism; however, we also support individuals with a variety of learning differences and support needs.”

LEARNINGO’s advantage is their individualized staff ratios, including 1:1 support when needed, to ensure each learner receives the guidance and interaction that works best for them. They work alongside public schools and parents who are homeschooling their children to help their participants succeed as often as they can.

“We are an alternative education opportunity, providing tutoring and individualized educational support, complementing what learners receive at school or at home,” described Emily. “We welcome partnerships with their public school and meeting with teachers for more collaboration. Families are connected with us when they are looking for additional resources for how to support their child’s education.”

LEARNINGO works with various partners including the Department of Opportunities and Social Development (DCS), the IWK, various learning centres and autism specialists. They offer programs to students in public or home schools and adults who have graduated from high school wanting to develop more life skills.

“Our staff ratios are different than public schools,” said Emily. “We are able to learn from each student individually about what motivates them and how they like to learn and then make flexible arrangements to meet their needs.”

CUA has supported their business from the beginning, providing commercial banking services and financial advice, no matter the question.

“I have always felt supported when asking CUA questions,” said Emily. “From walking into a branch to meeting with our Small Business Advisor, they are all friendly and willing to help.”

Emily is grateful for the advice CUA provided to LEARNINGO on the best way to manage a credit card as a Registered Charity.

“When we got a company credit card, CUA helped us set up a system to ensure it’s being paid and explained how to use it responsibly as a charity. They also made sure we had the correct credit card for our needs.”

In 2025, LEARNINGO was a recipient of $10,000 from CUA’s Community Investment Grant Program to purchase adaptive, sensory-friendly furniture and equipment for their Co-School Program, a cooperative learning program led by professionals who tailor curriculum to individual learning styles. Some students receive support to meet education goals while others learn functional living skills.

This allowed for LEARNINGO to open their own space for programming, which had been a goal since they started. Emily described it as their biggest accomplishment to date.

“We had been renting spaces and now we have a space with our name on the door. It gave everyone a lot of energy and allows us to expand our programs to help more families.”

This new space is a safe and comfortable hub for their community and allowed them to launch a new adult program.

“We did a pilot in the Spring with our aging participants and the new adult program is now officially starting and welcoming new participants,” said Emily. “Opening a location for LEARNINGO that is so close to bus routes and accessible was really the reason this could happen.”

Emily hopes the new space will allow for additional resources and eliminate their waitlist for programming.

“We encourage everyone to apply for programming if they think it will benefit them or a family member,” said Emily. “When we are filling spots, we look for the best-fit scenario for a teacher and student combination.”

Looking forward, LEARNINGO wants to reach more families, schools, and specialists with information about their services so that they can support more individuals in learning.

When asked about any advice she could give to business owners starting out, Emily noted the importance of reaching out to experts.

“Being a business that is so focused on our diverse community connections, others are always very encouraging for our participants to learn,” said Emily. “We outsource information and advice to those who know best; don’t be afraid to ask the question or take the advice.”

Through play-based learning, LEARNINGO proves that inclusion and innovation can go hand in hand.