Young Karibus
“Kim, you came back! exclaims a student, throwing herself into her teacher’s arms. Kim Poulin has just returned from an expedition with young people from school, as part of the Young Karibus program.
She had left six days earlier with a few dozen students from the Sautjuit school, teachers, guides and stakeholders. Their goal: cross-country ski the 93 kilometers that separate the villages of Kangirsuk and Aupaluk.
But that was counting without the blizzard which surprised the team in the middle of the expedition and forced a long break in the tupiks — the traditional tents — and a wet end of the trip on a snowmobile.
“The blizzard arrived at the right time,” said Hugo Dufresnes, the general manager of the organization Jeunes Karibus, who accompanied the group. In the early days, we were really into sports. The blizzard forced a break that allowed us to intervene. The guides entered the tupiks to tell stories, it facilitated the links between generations and between the young people themselves. »
The non-profit organization is present in all schools in Nunavik. Through the organization and preparation of an expedition, and through the expedition itself, it aims to help young people reach their full potential. They learn to surpass themselves, recognize their strengths, and develop positive relationships and healthy lifestyle habits. “In the territory, the links are developing at great speed”, summarizes Hugo Dufresnes, in an interview by videoconference.
The only condition to participate is to want to and be ready to invest in the project throughout the year. There is no school attendance requirement. On the contrary, we want to be sure to reach all young people, especially those who are going through difficult times and who may, as a result, have trouble showing up to class every day.
But although he has no statistics to this effect, Hugo Dufresnes is convinced that taking part in the expedition promotes attendance. “We have young people who only come to school on the day of an activity related to the expedition,” he notes.
Kim Poulin agrees. “The expedition is something very positive. The young people are very, very motivated, they each have their reasons for doing this. »
Trip to Toronto
In an effort to introduce them to career and study options, two teachers from Isummasaqvik School in Quaqtaq took their 4-year-old studentse and 5e high school student traveling to Toronto in the spring. “We took them on a tour of the University of Toronto to see what a university campus is like, with the sports complexes, the library, the architecture, classrooms accommodating more than 150 students, etc. .
It’s something they had never seen except in the movies, and I think it really gave them the desire to experiment and learn more things, “says teacher Victor Rochette Coulombe in an interview. by videoconference.
Great sports fans, the students also had the chance to attend a basketball game with the Raptors, Toronto’s professional team. Fundraising activities — poutine night, spaghetti, sushi, movies, etc. — were carried out throughout the year as part of a professional and business development course.
To participate, students had to have a class attendance rate of 75%. “One of the reasons behind this trip was to show them that it’s worth making sustained efforts,” says the teacher. It was the first time in more than a decade that such an activity had seen the light of day, but already, he predicts that it will become a rite of passage for graduates. Indeed, he sees the positive impact of this “reward”, not only on his students, but on the youngest ones too, who can’t wait for their turn.
“It’s a unique experience that they will remember for the rest of their lives!” “he assures.
Travel to Western Canada
At Ikusik school in Salluit, teachers Catherine Riendeau and Marie-Eve Trottier wanted to reward the attendance and good behavior of graduates by offering them a 12-day trip to Alberta at the end of May. “We were supposed to go to New York with our graduates in 2020, but COVID cut all that short,” says Catherine Riendeau, who teaches physical education. Every year since then, we hoped to leave, but we had to postpone our plans. This year is the good one. »
The students, who participated in the choice of destination and activities, will notably visit the Calgary Zoo and the largest shopping mall in North America, in Edmonton. They will also ride horses on a ranch and can admire the glaciers in Jasper and Lake Louise.
It was important for the teachers that the families did not have to spend money, so as not to penalize any student. So they knocked on every door and got close to $100,000 to fund the project. “We have become good at knowing where to ask for money and taking advantage of the programs that exist! she explains with a laugh.
They nevertheless wanted the students to participate in the financing, in order to make them responsible and to make them understand the whole organization behind such a trip. They also had to have an attendance rate of 70% throughout the school year and good behavior in class. “Some have decided that they weren’t tempted, and that’s okay, says Catherine Riendeau. That didn’t motivate them enough to meet the criteria. »
For most, however, the trip was a goal that got them through the year. “It motivates them a little more,” says Marie-Ève Trottier.