Achievement
To improve achievement outcomes for Indigenous students at KPDSB, various programs, initiatives, or activities were either initiated or continued during 2022.
One example of these initiatives was the Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy in Math in the spring of 2022. Open Roads Public School, in partnership with Lakehead University and provincial and local Indigenous artists, helped students connect mathematical processes and curriculum expectations to learning loom beading. This project introduced students to the Indigenous practice of beading and embedded with it math concepts, such as coding, patterning, and other numeracy skills.
Indigenous Student Mental Health Well-Being and Engagement
Student Voice:
Opportunities to provide platforms for Indigenous student voices have become embedded through many school practices, including talking circles, student-led dialogues, and relationship-building activities.
CRRP Ministry Pilot Project:
Sioux Mountain Public School, Open Roads Public School, and Lillian Berg Public School were part of implementing Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy, which began by gathering student voices on inclusion and equity concerning safe and inclusive school environments. Students spoke about feeling safe and supported and felt that Indigenous culture was valued by the schools. Concerns were also identified about times when they felt less safe, such as unstructured times during the school day, such as outside during nutrition breaks. The students shared that when reported to principals that they felt that they were supported.
Mental Health Supports:
In addition to the many KPDSB mental health supports, KPDSB schools are reaching out to invite local Elders in to help support students. Elder support models vary between schools and might include Elders in residence or daily invites to support classroom learning, provide cultural support or participate in school activities alongside students.
Other Indigenous Education Initiatives
- KPDSB has committed to reconciliation efforts to minimize systemic racism and the effects of colonialism through the work of the Equity committee and by developing a new policy and procedure to guide this commitment.
- Outdoor learning classrooms and experiential learning opportunities are being developed at schools across the board.
- A KPDSB CRRP website was created to provide educators and schools across the system with resources, guidelines, and connections to local, regional, and national content. Cultural content that focuses on First Nation, Métis, and Inuit is available for staff to support Indigenous pedagogies in the classroom.
- The grade 11 English course option Contemporary Aboriginal Voices (NBE) is offered in all KPDSB secondary schools as a mandatory English requirement. This course includes vetted texts by Indigenous authors and provides students with learning opportunities using Indigenous pedagogy. Teachers of the NBE course are provided with training in order to effectively deliver the course.’· The grade 11 English course option Contemporary Aboriginal Voices (NBE) is offered in all KPDSB secondary schools as a mandatory English requirement. This course includes vetted texts by Indigenous authors and provides students with learning opportunities using Indigenous pedagogy. Teachers of the NBE course are provided with training in order to effectively deliver the course.
