Manitoba's school boards have one purpose: to provide our students with the best schools possible.
School boards manage class size and staff levels to ensure all students have the supports they need to achieve.
Gakina Awiya Biindigeg means “Everyone is Welcome” in the Ojibwe language, but the group that bears that name at Springfield Collegiate in The Sunrise School Division was borne from circumstances that were far from welcoming. In 2003, an Elder speaking to a social studies class at the school had his vehicle vandalized and defaced with racist comments. School staff, with support from the school board, vowed to make something positive from an undeniably negative situation, and they have succeeded.
Gakina Awiya Biindigeg is multi-faceted, in keeping with its goal of promoting an understanding and acceptance of Indigenous cultures in all their aspects. The program is lead by a Junior Chief and Council, elected from among the schools grades 9 to 12 students. The school provides space where Métis, Inuit, First Nations and all interested students can meet to hear from Aboriginal speakers, to learn traditional forms of Aboriginal fine art, and to study the Ojibwe heritage and language.
Two or three times a year, parents hold a traditional feast and sharing circle to talk about their concerns and desires pertaining to their children’s education, while an Elder in Residence is available to speak with students on a weekly basis.
Since the inception of Gakina Awiya Biindigeg, Springfield Collegiate has noted increased retention and graduation rates for Métis and First Nations students. Or, as one of the parents noted at a sharing circle, “my two sons would not be in school” if not for Gakina Awiya Biindigeg. “They are excited whenever a group activity or language class is scheduled to take place.”
To learn more about Gakina Awiya Biindigeg in The Sunrise School Division, contact School Counsellor Ken McCorkle at kmccorkle@sunrisesd.ca, or phone 204.444.2404.
