Out on the land this summer

Our Education Advocates and Junior Advocates have been working hard in the sun and the rain this summer.

We’ve been running horse camps and art camps. We’ve also put much work into the YFNED campus, getting prepped for Sacred Day, building a cache, smoke house, cabin, bush clearing and putting in a boardwalk.

We’re on the water - both increasing our paddling skills, and our fishing skills.

We partnered with Horizon Helicopters to get to the top of Grey Mountain to help with mountain bike trail building.

This past week, we had a team at Moosehide representing YFNED. They offered watercolor painting, hand games, looming, beading, and bannock making - and much more!

We have near-daily programming in Watson Lake, thanks to Meaghan Kimmitt and two local Junior Advocates.

We’re also running the ILC Summer Hub. This is the last week to drop in from 10-4, Monday through Friday.

First aid, literacy programs, bear safety, un-sandbagging…
the list goes on and on! And still more things in August before students head back to school. What a summer! 😎

MTU is out and about

The Mobile Therapeutic Unit (MTU) has been doing a lot of travel to the communities with a variety of Wellness Program activities supporting families and students.

We’ve been in Watson lake, supporting families and children at Fun in the Park and our Community Juniors Advocates hosted a literacy group to build phonological awareness skills.

Our speech-language pathologists supported a Literacy Camp in Ross River.

We’ve also been to Old Crow, to support families during Gwitch’in Gathering.

Thank you to all these communities and many others who have welcomed us this summer!

Check out our instagram for some of the photos.

2022 First Nations Grad

What a day for 2022 First Nations Grad! The sun was out over the tent at the KDCC as grads donned their regalia. Executive Director Melanie Bennett provided a keynote speech and YFNED gift boxes were given to all grads. We are so proud of all the grads that made it this far, and look forward to all the great things these graduates will do!

If you haven’t checked out the YFNED TikTok, we have some fun videos there!

CCOE meets with Minister Hadju

Executive Director Melanie Bennett had the privilege of attending the Assembly of First Nations Annual General Assembly in Vancouver in July.

The CCOE met with Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) Minister Hadju to discuss much needed changes to Indigenous education in the Yukon. It was a very positive meeting and the CCOE look forward to working with ISC representatives in the coming months.

First Nation School Board ready for school year

Starting this fall, eight Yukon public schools will be operated by the new First Nation School Board (FNSB). The Interim Executive Director Melissa Flynn and the Interim Governance Committee (IGC) - a group carrying out the work of the FNSB until trustees are elected in November - have been working hard all summer to develop the policies, procedures and relationships needed for a successful launch in August. They’re kicking off the new school year with two days of in-person, on-the-land Professional Development for all staff from the eight FNSB schools. For more info, check out their new website at www.fnsb.ca.

The First Nation School Board was established in February 2022, through a series of school-attendance area referenda, enabling Yukon First Nations to assume shared authority with Government of Yukon in the delivery of public-school education in the territory. Board-run schools will continue to follow the BC Curriculum, but will tailor the programming, lesson delivery and assessment methodology to reflect Yukon First Nations ways of knowing, being and doing. These schools are for all Yukon students and aim to promote reconciliation by enhancing a Yukon First Nations model that puts the student first, through a strengths-based, community-centered approach. The FNSB are excited to gradually introduce changes at their 8 schools, supporting school teams in the transition to local ways of knowing and doing in the delivery of the curriculum while enhancing academic excellence.

YFNED will continue to support Indigenous students at all Yukon schools, including FNSB schools.

Family Feasts

We have been feasting this summer! We hosted successful feasts on June 11 and July 16. It’s great to see so many families sitting around the table together - nourishing their bodies and minds. The last feast had a Finding Nemo theme. We’re looking forward to whatever the Nutrition team comes up with next!

Families with children aged 0-18 in the Whitehorse area, join us for the next one on August 6 at KDCC.

Get Ready for Preschool

On July 21st, we had our first cohort of Get Ready for Preschoolers start this great new program at Early Years!

Get Ready for Preschool supports children and their parents/caregivers in the transition from in-home learning to group-based or center-based learning. Over the course of five weeks, children and their parents/caregivers take part in a mixture of structured and unstructured activities both as a large group and with a separate parent/caregiver sharing circle. During these gatherings, all participants will explore parenting strategies, guidance techniques, as well as developmental skills that will support the child in preschool programs.

Early Years — August activities

Welcome New Staff!

Daniel Blake (VGFN) is our new Early Years program assistant in Old Crow.

Coralee Buchanan (Métis) is now an Early Years Visitor and Intake Coordinator.

Linda Huebschwerlen (Kwanlin Dün) is now an Early Years Visitor and the Cultural Coordinator.

Karmen Savard (Secwépemc) is our new Early Years program assistant in Whitehorse.

New opportunities!

If you would like to join our team, we are still looking for an Early Years Visitor for Mayo.

You can find more details at yfned.ca/jobs.

UPCOMING EVENTS

August 6: Family Feast @ KDCC

August 22: First Day of School (most Yukon schools)

August 31 - September 1: First Nations Education Commission (FNEC)

September 10: Family Feast @ KDCC

September 28-29: Our Way - Deepening our learning of First Nations Education

October 17: Nominations open for FNSB trustee elections

October 27: Nominations close for FNSB trustee elections

November 5-7: FNSB trustee elections