Yukon schools and First Nations receive $300,000 for student attendance projects

Every Student, Every Day – Student attendance projects funded for 2022-23

Aurora Virtual School – Whitehorse
iDea Lab $9,500

Building a library of "shoe box" size learning kits that will serve to inspire and engage students in learning in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) areas. The aim is to develop clusters of iDea Labs with students in communities, without necessitating travel to Whitehorse to participate and engage. Kits would be shipped to students in communities or completed when staff visit students.

Del Van Gorder School – Faro
Kitchen Renovation for Breakfast and Lunch Program $ 11,985

Purchase of equipment to upgrade the current kitchen facilities to allow for hot meal preparation for all students in order to help boost attendance and ensure nutritional needs are being met.  

École Whitehorse Elementary School (ÉWES) – Whitehorse
Creativity Lab $4,125

Influenced by Tinkering Studios, Maker Spaces, STEAM Education and Teaching for Artistic Behaviour pedagogy, ÉWES' Creativity Lab aims to: 
• unlock intrinsic motivation, imagination, creativity and play;
• promote hands-on learning;
• create a highly engaging environment with quality tools, materials and support; 
• foster skills and habits of mind such as curiosity, collaboration, design thinking, growth mindset, social-emotional learning; and 
• equip students with the necessary competencies to confidently face their future. 

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Elijah Smith Elementary School – Whitehorse

Connected $12,000

Elijah Smith Elementary School (ESES) hopes to give students a better sense of what the future may hold, so they will feel a greater sense of hope to continue their schooling into high school and see the importance of coming to school on time each day. The Connected program is a wrap-around plan including support to several clubs and initiatives. These include Game Club, Drama Club, Table Tennis Club, Spelling Bee Club, Coding Club, S.W.A.G. Club (School-wide Activities and Games), Traditional Beading, Classroom Warm Up and the Digital Media initiative (building on last year's funding). The digital media initiative will allow ESES to work with 
Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the broader community to display/update information that reflects culture and community. 

Updated and Flexible Learning Spaces $9,617

The goal is to update classrooms and communal learning spaces with new, flexible seating arrangements in the hopes of creating a more comfortable and home-like atmosphere. Students are more likely to attend school if their learning environment resembles a place of comfort and provides a choice for seating. By creating a more welcoming and flexible learning environment as COVID-19 restrictions ease, we can create a more welcoming environment for families to become involved in learning by providing events such as literacy tea, poetry readings and mathematics games afternoons. 

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Eliza Van Bibber School – Pelly Crossing
Right Stuff to Start $5,900

Students requested rewards for attendance with art supplies for the morning and a field trip. Elementary students asked to get more art supplies to use. They would like to come in and have the choice of doing art or going to the gym. Having new items is exciting for students and encourages attendance.  

F.H. Collins – Whitehorse
On the Land: Mobile Classroom $ 23,155

F.H. Collins is striving to be innovative and move beyond the traditional ‘bells and cells’ of the education system. The purchase of outdoor gear allows F.H. Collins students, teachers and Yukon First Nations communities to learn together on the land. Being on the land is intrinsically linked to Yukon First Nations ways of knowing and doing. 

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Gadzoosdaa Student Residence – Whitehorse

Dorm Enhancements $10,000

This funding would support the professional levelling of the ice rink, the addition of a player’s box, additional recreational equipment, updated gaming equipment,  and additional musical instruments. This would continue the quest to make Gadzoosdaa Student Residence a place that students want to be; a place that feels like home and is engaging.

Incentive Cards $5,000

Bi-weekly student attendance will be monitored and those getting 85 per cent or higher will receive a gift card for a local business.

Healthy Bodies-Healthy Minds $5,000

The purpose of the Healthy Bodies-Healthy Minds incentive is to give students a greater reason to want to stay in school and engaged with Gadzoosdaa Student Residence.  The various activities would allow students to create an activity plan that is motivating to them and beneficial to their high school graduation plan.

Community/University Tours $5,000

Students would visit postsecondary institutions and experience what future opportunities may be out there after graduation.  Students would access current students and admissions counsellors. The tours would target students at the end of grade 10 to show a path to a future that may be difficult to see from the Yukon. This is devised as a dropout prevention plan as most dropouts occur around the end of grade 10.

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Golden Horn School Council – Whitehorse

Outdoor Active - Kicksleds and Quinzhees $4,000

Kicksledding was recently introduced at Golden Horn Elementary School and has been met with great enthusiasm. Students and staff love it as it is a quick and easy way for students of all ages and abilities to explore the outdoors in winter. Golden Horn Elementary School currently owns one kicksled and has occasional access to four more from the Recreation Parks Association of the Yukon gear library. Kicksleds will be incorporated into the school’s outdoor education program.

Outdoor Active - Cross Country Skiing $5,000

The primary goal of this project is to increase Golden Horn Elementary School student attendance by creating opportunities for all students to participate in joyful and engaging outdoor learning activities. When students are given the opportunity to participate in meaningful activities outside, it helps develop and strengthen relationships among students and their teachers. The goal will be realized by purchasing good quality and easy-to-use cross-country ski gear so that every classroom has the opportunity to incorporate skiing into their regular weekly winter activities. 

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Holy Family Elementary School - Whitehorse’ Reconciliation, Respect and Regulation Using an Outdoor Classroom’ $25,000

Holy Family Elementary School Council wants to create an outdoor classroom structure with a fire pit on the school grounds. The space will be used year round so it has been designed with that in mind.  
Innovations For Learning (IFL) Canada – Whitehorse
TutorMate 1:1 High Dosage Tutoring $8,500
The TutorMate Program is proprietary software that contains curriculum and facilitates the delivery of early literacy and reading programs.  

Individual Learning Centre – Whitehorse
You've Got This: Getting Your Driver's License! $2,950

The primary goal of this project is to help students successfully pass their learners driving test in a supportive environment. The goal of this project would be to prepare students ahead of time by doing practice online tests with a teacher and downloading the ICBC free app onto the student’s phones to help them prepare for and pass the knowledge test for the learner's licence. The staff at the Individual Learning Centre will support each student during the test process and help with paperwork.

 

Off-Site Academic Day Camps $4,260

The overall goal would be to help students make significant progress in their academic courses while attending the day camp. This will hopefully lead to them feeling successful in their learning and help motivate them to attend the Individual Learning Centre more frequently so they are productive and focused while at school. 

Hygiene and Health Supplies $2,000

The goal of the initiative is to support the physical and mental health of students so they feel good, clean and supported when attending school. Last year the Individual Learning Centre summited an Attendance Initiative entitled "Health Supplies". This has been one of the Individual Learning Centre most successful attendance initiatives. 

Student Self Care: Workout Room Equipment $2,500  

The goal of this project is to focus on fostering one of the 40 developmental assets:
"young person spends three or more hours per week in nature, sports, clubs, or other organizations at school, on the land, or in the community." Through helping to foster this developmental asset we expect student attendance at the Individual Learning Centre will improve.  Additional equipment (smith machine, treadmill and a wall mounted smart TV) will hopefully help to improve safety, students’ mental health and enhance the fitness options available to students. 

Jack Hulland Elementary School – Whitehorse
Science: Hands-On Learning Towards Sustainability $5,000

Our proposal attempts to engage student in hands-on learning for meeting curricular goals and increasing awareness of environmental stewardship and citizenship. We have four parts to our proposal: 

1) Little free library kits and carts.  
2) Science materials.  
3) Forest School. 
4) Grow Wall (or similar hydroponics system) to be housed in the school library.     

 
Jack Hulland School Council – Whitehorse
Purchase of Developmentally Responsive Equipment for Self-Regulation         $13,000

Our goal is to build inviting spaces that provide students with flexible spaces that increase their success and attendance at school. This would entail purchasing equipment to support developmentally responsive supports for self-regulation. We know that some students are at different ages and stages with their self-regulation. This equipment will provide the opportunity for students to stay at school in a supported and developmentally appropriate environment instead of going home or not attending.

JV Clark School – Mayo
JVC School Pride Initiative $27,500

The goal of the project is to instill desire and excitement among students to attend school every day. 

The project includes daily recognition for successes through attendance initiatives, like earning "Den Dollars" for both every day attended and arriving on time twice daily for our older students. The dollars can be used at "The Den" a school store we plan to develop. 
The project also includes a plan to install a safe and comfortable student study/lunch lounge and provide opportunities for students to be active at school during the day with our K-12 cycling initiative.

 

Khàtìnas.àxh School – Teslin
Family Oriented Program $3,000

Monthly awards for individual student attendance and for overall classroom attendance. One year end award for the individual student with the best attendance overall..

 

Liard First Nation, Department of Education – Watson Lake
Collective Action Towards Improving Student Attendance in Watson Lake Schools
$ 24,886

Students will get iPads, new games for the playground and more lively and active chairs such as Node chairs. By enhancing engagement and accessibility, the program will create a friendly and welcoming environment, motivating students to want to get up and attend school. These new elements will have a positive effect on students’ desire to learn in a more interactive environment. A space will be created where students can speak up and voice their needs. The program will facilitate surveys and discussions to better understand and address the issues that negatively effect student attendance. This space will also be provided outside the student’s home as Elders, the Community Education Liaison Coordinator and YG Wellness visit students’ homes to do a wellness check and identify other issues that are affecting attendance. 

Robert Service School - Dawson
K - 12 Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies (ADST) Pathway $20,000

Create more school experiences that have a type of 'wow' factor to foster attendance and engagement. The idea is to link the Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies Pathway starting in elementary so that the foundation for technical skills (analogue, digital, hands on, creativity) is in place and students are able to demonstrate the required skills at the right grade. For example, students would need to develop technical drawing skills before learning design software or simple carving and art skills with clay and soap before attempting wood carving. The goal is to create enrichment opportunities so that grade 7 - 12 students can be self-directed to develop their own skills in a particular technology or hobby.

Selkirk Elementary School Council – Whitehorse
Water Safety Project $ 11,124

Offering water safety and swimming lessons to students at Selkirk will enable them to experience hands-on learning in the water. Hands-on learning events are fun and engaging for students, which will contribute to increased attendance. 

Takhini Elementary School – Whitehorse
Takhini Elementary Timberwolves on the Snow and on the Land $ 11,465

The school is looking to facilitate an easy and innovative way to encourage kids to become more physically active, connect with traditional culture, learn on the land and have fun in wintertime. The program will use kicksledding as a low barrier winter recreation and active transportation option for all Takhini Elementary’s age groups and fitness/ability levels. The program will also keep the “Takhini Elementary Timberwolves on the Snow and on the Land” cross country ski program accessible to all students by requesting further funding to “plug the gap” in ski lengths and allowing students of all heights and weight (particularly those in the grade 4-5 range) the opportunity to ski with their peers.

Teen Parent Centre – Whitehorse
Family Oriented Attendance Incentive Program $ 10,410

This project would seek to reward students with a 100 per cent attendance record, however, young mothers can find it difficult to achieve this due to their child’s needs, medical appointments and childcare issues. Therefore the project would also reward 90 per cent and 80 per cent attendance. The rewards would be given with the idea of family in mind and promoting a positive lifestyle for the Teen Parents as well as their children.

Youth Achievement - Whitehorse
First Nations Cultural Art Program $8,000

A year-long cultural art program with the goal of 8 art workshops spread throughout the school year, once per month with the exception of August, December and June. Our intent is to work in partnership with local Indigenous Artists through the Artists in Schools program, the Northern Cultural Expressions Society, Lumel studios and Yukon Arts Underground.

Yukon Women in Mining Association (operating as Yukon Women in Mining or YukonWIM) – Whitehorse
Yukon Mining Days $10,000

Yukon Mining Days consist of a series of educational and interactive events to inform Indigenous communities, women, youth and children about the Yukon mining sector and its professional opportunities. 

*At the time of this press release, there are a couple of projects with details that are still being finalized.  An amendment may be made to this list once these project details are finalized.