Finding My Way Back to Education at Gonzaga Middle School

By Britney Champagne, 2nd year MDP student

Taanshi! My name is Britney Champagne, and I am a Red River Métis woman completing my second and final field placement with the MDP program. I had the privilege of working with Gonzaga Middle School (GMS) in Winnipeg’s Point Douglas community.

Gonzaga Middle School (GMS) is an independent middle school serving students in Grades 6 to 8 in Winnipeg’s Point Douglas and North End communities. GMS takes a holistic approach to education, recognizing that student success extends beyond academics. The school combines academic programming with social, emotional, cultural, and spiritual supports while drawing from the Jesuit Nativity educational model and adapting it to meet the needs of the Winnipeg community. Through mentorship, enrichment programming, meals, transportation, extended programming, and its Graduate Support Program, GMS works to reduce barriers and support students throughout their educational journeys. What stood out to me most was the strong sense of community that exists between students, staff, graduates, and families.

During my placement, I worked with the Graduate Department as a researcher. My primary project involved exploring the experiences of GMS graduates after transitioning out of high school. I conducted interviews with graduates, analyzed themes from their experiences, and completed a qualitative report that will support GMS in reflecting on their graduate programming and identifying opportunities to continue strengthening their supports for future students.

Beyond my research role, I had the opportunity to become involved in the broader GMS community. I participated in school events, attended the Grade 8 graduation, connected with graduates and families, and facilitated dance enrichment with a group of Grade 8 girls where we learned a K-pop dance. These experiences allowed me to see the relationships and sense of belonging that GMS has intentionally built within its community.

This placement was especially meaningful because it helped me reconnect with my passion for education. As I completed my Bachelor of Education, I found myself questioning my place in the classroom and what direction I wanted my career to take. My experience at GMS reminded me why I chose education in the first place. Working with students, hearing their stories, and building relationships with them showed me that education is about much more than academics; it is about creating spaces where young people feel valued, supported, and encouraged.

I am incredibly grateful to the GMS community for welcoming me and allowing me to learn from their students, graduates, staff, and families. This placement strengthened my skills as a researcher and educator while reminding me of the importance of relationship-building, community engagement, and listening to the voices of those we work alongside.

 

Sustainable solutions to education and employment in the form of community based training at the Atoskiwin Training and Employment Centre

By Cassandra Szabo, 1st Year MDP student

I am doing my placement at the Atoskiwin Training and Employment Centre (ATEC) in Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN) located on Treaty 5 territory 800 kilometers north of Winnipeg. ATEC is a training to employment facility that was born out of the Wuskwatim agreements between the First Nation and Manitoba Hydro. Manitoba Hydro was to create a facility that would train local members to build the generating station, however once the dam was completed the long term use of the facility was in question. The need for training, specifically training that leads to employment is a crucial service necessary on the First Nation, the executive director and others in the community saw this value and advocated to keep ATEC as a training centre. The systemic inequalities on Canadian First Nations mean that students are falling through the education system and not getting the education they deserve and need to gain employment, so this became ATEC’s goal- to fill the gaps and build up their community.

Me standing in front of ATEC

ATEC intake process

ATEC realized that not all the students coming to them had the same levels of education, some were below a grade 8 level, some above it. In order to better serve the needs of the students and place them into the proper program, ATEC created a unique intake process which not only assesses their academic level, career hopes, but also their emotional and social wellbeing. This process is done through an online testing system, and then for the wellbeing assessment a trained individual will evaluate mental health and substance abuse vulnerability. If it is deemed that a student may struggle with addictions or mental health they are encouraged to attend the Medicine lodge and then return to their studies. This process has been crucial in ensuring the success of the students. If an individual is struggling outside of the classroom then they may not succeed in the classroom and this leads to a feeling of defeat, low self-esteem, and then potentially that individual will not pursue any further training.

ATEC has a variety of programs that students can enter based on where they have been assessed. Students can enter in programs that will help them with literacy and numeracy, up to first year university. Students that take the Mature Student Diploma Program also have a mentorship opportunity which enables them to gain work experience in the field they are interested in. Additionally, ATEC has had extensive success with their Integrated Trades program which pairs those interested in carpentry with a Red Seal to gain the necessary skills for the field. ATEC pursues programming that has direct job opportunities attached to it, and this has been called a “Labor Market Intermediary” by the Canadian Council for Policy Alternatives. A Labor Market Intermediary creates relationships between various actors that are necessary for individuals to find and keep meaningful employment. These relationships are formed between, employers, education and training centers, government, funding agencies, and community organizations. The Labor Market Intermediary ensures that low-skilled workers are targeting their training to targeted sectors.

College prep graduation ceremony

My time at ATEC is spent doing a variety of things that the staff need support on, so far I have worked on:

• Education program proposals – Each year ATEC has to write a proposal to continue programming from University College of the North.
• Funding Proposals – ATEC is in constant need to secure new funding, so funding proposals are a crucial part of the organization.
• Accreditation applications – In order for ATEC to be able to issue credits they need to be an accredited institution, and the application for this is lengthy.

I have also been able to sit in on some exciting meetings that are discussing the future of the organization and future initiatives!

Creating Opportunities for Marginalized Women

By Margaret Lewis-John, 2nd year MDP student

For the last couple of weeks of my field placement I was involved in a seminar on Girl Child education and development.  The aim of the seminar was to identify challenges affecting the development of the Girl Child in nomadic pastoralist communities in Kenya and to make recommendations on the way forward to the difficulties they experience. Through various focus group discussions, relevant strategies which could remedy the situation were identified for implementation. Additionally, the workshop allowed past scholarship beneficiaries of Indigenous Information Network (IIN) to share their experiences and challenges in completing their education.  This enabled us to recognize successful interventions which can be used to address the Girl Child education and development now and the future.  From the seminar deliberations, a work plan was formulated, a report was compiled and a proposal developed from the findings and submitted for possible funding.

Margaret (L) sharing a moment with Girl-Child participants

Based on my experience it seems natural when a child is born the parents start thinking of a school they will send the child and the potential of a career which is articulated to the child in toys and story books. However, this kind of prospect is not the reality for many children in Kenya, especially among pastoralist Maasai girls.  The reality for many is milking cows, taking care of animals in the hot scorching sun and walking long distances to fetch water and firewood.  Moreover, some never make it to a classroom since within nomadic pastoralist communities in Kenya there is a low status given to girls as compared to boys.  The preference for boys in pastoralist communities is cultural and historically based on the patriarchal system of inheritance.  Many girls are physically and emotionally abandoned or perceived as less important.  Subsequently, this perception is demonstrated even through celebrations prepared for the birth of a boy as opposed to the birth of a girl.  From the seminar I advocated for the setting up of funds for the education of girls and met with various private sector stakeholders who can assist in support of the girl child education and development. 

Margaret at WYLDE International Seminar on entrepreneurship

Furthermore, it was recognized that low economic status among women makes them vulnerable to continue their traditional ways of life which impacts on girls as they do not have the necessary funds to send them to school even though in Kenya there is a policy on free primary education.  Consequently, I attended a workshop held by WYLDE International on business development, which offers consulting, coaching and training on business as a way to help them to find their edge in whatever business opportunity they pursue.  This allowed me to develop a training manual for IIN which can be used for entrepreneurial training in pastoralist communities, especially among women. Also, going to the Massai market, I made many friends and taught them the hair style of interlocking dreads which many will use as an alternative means for income generation. 

 
As I reflect on my time in Kenya and with my host organization IIN, I can think of these words: it was truly memorable, educational and informative. It was an occasion in which I can certainly ponder and say, I will return in the foreseeable future.    

  

Margaret (L) and Maria (R) after hair locking at Maasai Market

Photovoice - using photography to advocate for gainful educational attainment for girls in northern Nigeria

By Badriyya Yusuf, 2nd Year MDP student

I am undergoing my practicum with the Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative (IWEI), a local NGO in Kano State, northern Nigeria. We are collaborating on the organization's Safe Space Clubs program which is an intervention designed to retain the girl-child in school - at least, up to grade SS3 (equivalent to grade 12). The program entails providing 98 secondary school girls in different rural areas with a forum in which to meet  and discuss their challenges and opportunities. Training is provided on human rights advocacy and issues such as water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), maternal and child health and nutrition are also introduced.

For my practicum, we decided to focus specifically on using Photovoice as a research method. Photovoice is a form of participatory action research which involves community building and dialogue through photography (Wang, 2006). Fifteen schoolgirls aged between 13-16 from three different rural areas were selected as participants in a 10 week project. The objective is to enable them to take pictures using digital cameras, of their perceptions of challenges and opportunities to gainful education and to advocate for their rights. Interestingly, none of them have ever held a camera before - really! There has been much enthusiasm, particularly on the workshop session when they were introduced to cameras. Who'd have known that a zoom lens could be such a fascination!! 

Badriyya (2nd from R) explaining Photovoice to participants

Our first few sessions of the project were centered around orienting the students to its specifics, and the rules of Photovoice - informed consent of the person to be photographed, how to use and care for a camera, time frames and expectations etc.

We've received overwhelming support from the community as all duty bearers and stakeholders were involved in the process - all but 2 of the girls have been attending workshop sessions. We found out that the absentees were denied participation by their brother. In a patriarchal society such as mine, this is unfortunately, not unusual. The unquestioned ability of a male figure to dictate the livelihood of a female child, sibling or spouse was among the main obstacles to education identified by the girls during our focus group discussions. This is evidenced by the high rates of early marriages in the region where 48% of girls are married by the age of 15 (UNFPA.org). For many of the girls, the pursuit of education dies when they get married.

As it stands at the moment, the girls have been given full possession of the cameras for the next few days. I eagerly await the pictures our rookies will produce.

                             

Reflections on the UCN Placement

By Heidi Cook, MDP student

The University College of the North (UCN) is an invaluable resource for education and development in northern Manitoba. You don’t hear much about it in southern Manitoba but UCN is all over the north with two campuses and twelve regional centres. They are doing some really great things, like implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) for one. 

Pisew Falls, south of Thompson, Manitoba

There are plenty of opportunities, big and small, to connect UNDRIP to on-the-ground action. At UCN a big focus is on Aboriginal content and perspectives being reflected in the curriculum. This goes a long way to promote understanding and combat discrimination, one of the goals of the Declaration.

When the outgoing academic specialist sends you her position advertisement, you know you did a pretty good job. I expected to learn about UCN and the Natural Resources Management Technology (NRMT) program through conversations and observing meetings, however there were opportunities for me to get more involved in the program review by doing some research and providing context for the review. 

The people you meet really are the best part of the placement experience. In both my placements I have made lifelong friendships and expanded my professional network.

Elder Stella Neff, UCN Elders Council