Latest news with #SchoolDistrict60
Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Hundreds of students explore healthcare careers at travelling roadshow
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Students from School District 60 got a slice of what possible careers the field of healthcare could yield at a two-day event in Fort St. John. Grade 10 and 11 students from North Peace Secondary School (NPSS) took part in the Healthcare Travelling Roadshow on May 26th and 27th. Introduced in 2010 by Dr. Sean Maurice of the medical program at Prince George's University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), the event had a dual purpose for both the college and high school students involved. The high school students got to see potential opportunities, while the college-aged undergraduates got a glimpse of the rural community they could be serving when they enter the workforce. Maurice says the event focuses on kids from rural communities who face 'more barriers' in their post-secondary lives. 'In a lot of [rural] places where there are a lot of blue-collar jobs,' says Maurice, '[where] you don't necessarily need to have post-secondary education. '[Then there's] a lot of kids who have parents who aren't familiar with post-secondary. 'If you feel you need to go to Vancouver for university, it's just far away. It feels very different. So we're just trying to help get them over that barrier.' Brian Campbell of School District 60 told approximately 200 students from NPSS took part to see 'what potential careers' they could consider after graduation. Campbell is the district principal of careers and international education. 'The more that we can expose students to potential careers, the better they're going to be able to make informed choices of what they want to do,' said Campbell. 'The healthcare field is so wide, [NPSS students] could talk to students who are studying in [that] field and get to try some things hands on.' Students from UNBC demonstrated the opportunities available in careers such as medicine, nursing, psychiatric nursing, dental hygiene, laboratory technology, midwifery, kinesiology, biomedical engineering and respiratory therapy. 'I think it's really important for students to realize that they can have the opportunity to train in the north and stay in the north,' said Campbell. 'That really helps build strong northern communities.' The roadshow has made regular trips to Fort St. John since its beginnings in 2010. It will also make trips to both Dawson Creek and Tumbler Ridge during the last week of May, according to a news release. The Healthcare Travelling Roadshow was also funded in part by partnership with the Northern Medical Programs Trust, Rural Education Action Plan, Interior Health, UNBC, and University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine. It has exposed more than 16,500 students to the wonders of the healthcare field, according to the release. More details about the Healthcare Travelling Roadshow can be found on its website .
Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
First Nations high school students explore career paths at event
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Indigenous secondary school students from around School District 60 had a chance to see potential future careers at an event hosted by Northern Lights College (NLC) on Tuesday. Pathways to Indigenous Futures, coordinated by NLC specifically for First Nations students, took place during the morning and early afternoon of May 27th. Designed to be 'a career fair without calling it a career fair, ' students had a few moments from their hectic educational schedules to take in what pathways are available, including ones in industry, skilled trades and entrepreneurship. Scott Lloyd, the organizer who spearheaded the event, coordinated with NLC and representatives from various Indigenous communities, including Doig River First Nation (DRFN), Halfway River First Nation (HRFN) and Blueberry River First Nations (BRFN). Sponsorship from the event came from companies such as Arc Resources, BC Hydro, Centurion, ConocoPhillips, Halfway River Group-affiliated companies including Halfway River D&D Well Services and Canadian (CDN) Controls, Monmouth, Uujo Contracting, Shell Canada and the North East Native Advancing Society (NENAS). 'We're trying to create something fun that's engaging to the students [and] inspires the students in some small way,' said Lloyd, an independent Indigenous consultant who resides in Campbell River. 'Hopefully we get to grow it and get it bigger, and we keep inspiring. 'Walking through the space today we got a wide variety of people. We're hoping, with the sponsorships and moving forward, we're going to make this event next year even bigger.' Indigenous entrepreneurs and representatives from the oil and gas industry, law enforcement and nursing were on hand while the students inquired about the potential careers that lay ahead for each. Tylin Apsassin, who began the hat restoration business that bears his last name, began his entrepreneurial venture at just 14 years old. Still only 20 years old, he says the event is for Indigenous entrepreneurs to show 'passion' for their trades to Indigenous students. 'We do this because we're passionate about it,' said Apsassin, a member of BRFN. 'In the world we live in, people are able to go and do whatever they want, so long as they put their mind to it.' Daniel Prince, who runs Hero Time Maintenance, is a member of Haisla Nation located in Kitimat, and promoted what ways education can benefit students for both members of First Nations communities and those who are not. Prince's business started in 2010 with him working in plumbing and gas fitting, and has expanded out to all kinds of residential and commercial repairs. He joked students 'take math seriously' to have success. 'Good grades helped me get a long way,' said Prince. 'I was on honour roll all throughout high school and it allowed me to get different grants and bursaries. '[There's] a lot of different help out there. There are people who don't know it's there, and if you just go out and find it. You got good grades, that will help you go a long way, and you wouldn't even know until you find a connection.' The day was spearheaded by an appearance by the Notorious Cree, an Indigenous hoop dancer, entertainer and motivational speaker, who is from Tallcree First Nation near Fort Vermilion, Alberta. He was backed up by members of School District 60's Indigenous education dance troupe, who participated in various dances such as a men's grass dance and a women's fancy shawl. The dancing concluded with an inter-tribal dance with some participation from student attendees. Playing his flute and talking to the crowd, Notorious Cree spoke of harmony and acceptance among all people. 'It's important to remember that we do live in a world where racism and bullying is very prevalent,' Notorious Cree, otherwise known as James Jones, told students. 'But one thing I learned is it comes from a place of misunderstanding. 'We're here for a very short time on this earth. It's up to you if you want to be here and you want to walk this world with love or with hate in your heart. Something so small can have such a big positive impact on somebody, even just asking how their day is going. You might not know, but that could honestly save somebody's life.' Despite having a million-plus followers on Instagram, he told he enjoys the intimacy of smaller crowds. 'I do big events with thousands of people,' he said. 'I love smaller events. I feel like you can be more face-toe-face. To me, community is everything.' Pathways to Indigenous Futures took place at NLC's Fort St. John campus on May 27th.
Hamilton Spectator
23-05-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Different from a textbook': Doig Day returns in 2025 to educate kids about Indigenous culture and language
DOIG RIVER, B.C. — With a little wind in the air, school buses parked in an area on the grounds of Doig River First Nation (DRFN) for the annual Doig Day. One by one, excited fourth graders filed off the vehicles on May 22nd, donning navy blue t-shirts for what has become a tradition for School District 60 students. Started in the 1970s in a classroom with a handful of students, the event has become a staple on the North Peace region's cultural calendar. Community members, industry partners and the public explored the area, with stations dedicated to hunting and trapping, smoking meat, preparing a moose hide to use for materials such as clothing and drums and even learning the Beaver alphabet. It's become routine for Elaine McEachern , who brought students from Baldonnel Elementary School and said a large takeaway was Indigenous communities traditionally 'waste nothing.' 'It's stunning,' said McEachern. '[We were shown] when you shoot a moose or a bison, what Indigenous folks do with it, because they waste nothing. They make beautiful clothing out of it. They dry the meat. There's everything from the heart to the nose. 'Letting kids see that, when you're really in touch with nature, nothing's wasted [and] everything's appreciated.' Hudson's Hope Elementary-Secondary School teacher Douglas Laidlaw, who came for the second year in a row with his class, said there is a 'difference between learning from a textbook' and experiencing Doig Day. Members of the DRFN community taught Laidlaw's students – and countless others – phrases in the Beaver language of the Dane-zaa people while they prepared smoked moose meat, including 'hello,' 'I'm fine' and 'thank you.' '[Just being here] seeing things, touching things, being able to interact and able to speak the language,' said Laidlaw. 'We're learning a little bit more Dane-zaa here. They came ready to say 'I'm fine' but they get to use the words they pick up.' DRFN community member Karen St. Pierre said it was 'very important' to pass the knowledge to the district's students, showing some steps in preparing an animal hide. 'Doig Day is very important to School District 60 that they come out every year with the grade fours,' said St. Pierre. 'To teach other children about our First Nations culture and teach them how we came about, teach them about our ancient ways and how we survived.' Around the festivities was DRFN Elder Gerry Attachie, who preached events such as Doig Day celebrate not only education, but harmony among the Indigenous and settler communities. 'We were too far apart,' said Attachie. 'Some of the people that were in line, we didn't know they're part Indian. One of them said 'we didn't know we were Métis. My dad never told us.' They just got their status back. 'Why? Because of prejudice and racism. It was so sad.' More details about Doig Day 2025 are available through DRFN's Facebook page .
Chicago Tribune
15-05-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Waukegan D60 Wraparound Center serving more students, adults; ‘People are responding to the services we're providing'
Open for less than a year, the Waukegan Community Unit School District 60's Wraparound Center continues to grow, with more than a 50% increase since November in helping students and community members with general mental health and other needs. Growing 30% from the time it opened in July until late November, LeBaron Moten, the district's deputy superintendent for operational supports and programs, said that since then, the number of referrals grew from 54 to 116. 'There has been an almost 50% increase in referrals for the Wraparound Center program,' he said. Moten presented an update on the Wraparound Center's operations to the District 60 Board of Education's Operational Services Committee on Tuesday at the Education Service Center in downtown Waukegan, keeping the board up to date on the efforts of the facility. Opening with two service providers in July — A Safe Pace focusing on sexual abuse and domestic violence, and Community Youth Network (CYN) offering mental health social support and social-emotional counseling — a third service, GRO Community, joined in February. GRO provides 'trauma-informed mental health services and behavioral support,' according to information on the district's website referenced by Moten. Bridget Dotson, the director of the center, said GRO focuses more on male students and men. 'Their specialty is developing boys into men,' Dotson said in February. 'They are already known in the community, and they will enable us to enlarge the scope of our work in the community and the scope of the Wraparound Center.' Dotson said after the meeting that approximately 70% of the people receiving services are students in the district's elementary and middle schools, as well as Waukegan High School, while the others are community members. The primary reason is general mental health. Tirzah Norwood-Jones, the Wraparound Center's manager, said she is pleased with the growth, particularly in the last few months, where it has continued to accelerate. 'We are extending our reach,' Norwood-Jones said. 'We're going to keep it up.' Board member Christine Lensing said at the meeting that she and her colleagues should tell all the people they can about the Wraparound Center since it serves residents of the city as well as students in the schools. 'We should be promoting this as much as we can in the community because it's not only for our students, but we have adults that use the services and, from my understanding, things are really going well,' Lensing said. 'People are responding to the services we're providing.' When visiting schools, Lensing said board members, as well as administrators, should talk to school leaders. Collaboration between the schools and the Wraparound Center is part of the overall process of helping students. 'We should make sure we're promoting this,' Lensing said. 'It is a big investment, but it is a big investment because our community needs it.' Operating by appointment only, Dotson said students can refer themselves or a counselor can help them with the process. They can do it online through the district's secure system. Adults can go to a different website and use the QR code, or they can make an appointment over the phone.
