Indigenous Education

Click here to hear from Pamala Agawa, Human Rights & Equity Advisor, about the Board Action Plan (BAP) for Indigenous Education.

Audio: Pamala Agawa, Human Rights & Equity Advisor

Audio Transcript

In January 2025, I was assigned to oversee the Board Action Plan budget, also referred to as the BAP, connected to Indigenous Education. From January to June, I reviewed the positions, transactions and expenditures across relevant accounts, as well as the reporting methods schools utilized. The Indigenous Education Lead, Christine Suprovich, and I conducted a thorough review of how funds were allocated, not only to schools but also to positions funded through the BAP.

Throughout the summer and the earlier part of the 2025-2026 school year, Christine and I worked closely with the Finance department to build mathematical equations to support the allocation of funding for Graduation Coaches. We also developed a Google Form for schools to request funds from the board action plan.

Christine has also been working closely with two administrators to review the process schools use for reporting expenditures of allocated board action plan funds. Schools will now be required to complete a Google Form upon the completion of a project, learning opportunity, or community visit. This new Google Form is structured to replicate our board action plan funding report, which must be completed at the conclusion of each school year cycle. We anticipate that this adjustment will allow the reporting back to the Ministry of Education to proceed more smoothly.

Furthermore, we have centralized expenditures for student learning excursions developed in conjunction with First Nation communities, as well as for Extended Learning Opportunities for staff within the school board.

We have been working in consultation with the Red Lake Area Schools on a pilot project to support the development of a procedure for honorarium distribution across the school board, aiming to enhance learning experiences.

We have also committed to sharing expenditure information with the Indigenous Education Advisory Council (IEAC) to promote transparency and build stronger relationships. Christine and I are committed to implementing the strategic goals of the BAP developed alongside the IEAC.

Learn more about our First Nation School Support Program from Principal Lead for the program, Wayne Mercer.

The KPDSB- NAN school support partnership is made possible through the KPDSB, Ministry of Education, and Nishnawbe Aski Special Projects branch. Through this partnership, First Nation schools across the NAN territory have access to Principal Mentorship, the New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP), and a Mental Health Champion model.

The principal mentorship program currently has 10 principals participating where the focus is on support to develop capacity on instructional leadership, implementing structured literacy programs, school improvement planning, and professional development. The group meets periodically online, as well as several face-to-face meetings throughout the year.

The NTIP program is rapidly gaining popularity throughout the region as we have gone from an annual group size of less than 10, to having 26 in 2024 to 34 participants in 2025. Participants engage in professional learning through the KPDSB NTIP program, in addition to sessions being offered by various tribal councils and knowledge keepers. As part of the program, principals and teachers work together to support meaningful and timely feedback through the teacher performance appraisal process, as outlined by the MOE and the Ontario College of Teachers. It is important to acknowledge that this opportunity for new teachers in federal schools would not exist without this program. The ability to connect with mentors in public schools has been exceptionally beneficial for both the mentee and mentor alike in creating an excellent source of reciprocal learning. Mentee teachers had opportunities to engage in school visits with their mentor for at-the-elbow learning.

The Mental Health Champion Model currently consists of 26 champions from 22 schools throughout the NAN territory. With this unique team approach, champions are able to build a group approach to support student wellbeing in their schools. Champions meet regularly online throughout the year and gather for a face-to-face meeting to receive targeted and critical training to bring back to their community. This past year, for example, the champions all completed the Mental Health First Aid certification program. Our focus for 2025-26 is to assist champions to build school specific work plans to execute in their schools that raise awareness of student well-being with staff, students, and community.

In summary, the work being done through these unique partnerships has been highly impactful. It is an excellent example of working together for higher student outcomes and reconciliation in action. To best summarize, one principal mentee wrote, “This program has been transformational – not only for me personally, but for my staff, our students, and the wider community. Leading a school in a remote First Nations community comes with unique challenges. The NAN Principal Mentorship Program has provided me with access to high-quality professional development, essential leadership resources, and – most importantly – a network of experienced, caring leaders who understand the context in which we work. This kind of professional learning is not available in our community, and without the support of this program, it would be difficult to access such specialized, culturally relevant training.”

Click here to learn more about RRNST, our Rapid Response Northern School Team, and its work in Indigenous communities.

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