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Media Release – St. Elias School Community Committee Agreement Signed

Media Release – St. Elias School Community Committee Agreement Signed

 

 

FOR RELEASE

First Nation School Board signs Community Committee Agreement with Champagne and Aishihik First Nations

Traditional Territory of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations August 7, 2023

The First Nation School Board and Champagne and Aishihik First Nations (CAFN) government are pleased to announce that the territory’s first Community Committee Agreement was signed on July 23, 2023 at CAFN’s General Assembly.

Community Committees will be established for each First Nation School Board community to provide guidance and collaboration with the board on operations, planning and all matters regarding their local school(s).

The First Nation School Board has been engaging with all its school communities to provide information and work towards establishing agreements with each connected First Nation. These agreements, and eventual committees, are at various stages of development, community-by-community.

Quotes

“We are extremely proud to sign this historic agreement with the Yukon First Nation School Board. Chief and Council are taking proactive steps to establish community committees, encouraging and unifying the voices of our people. We are laying a strong foundation for the future of our education by reinforcing firm connections between our community and the new board. This partnership empowers us to have direct say in our children’s education, embrace dakwanje (Southern Tutchone) in our school system and most importantly, ensure that each and every student is supported in their journey. This is a marked step in our people’s path of self- determination.”
– Chief Barb Joe, Champagne and Aishihik First Nations

“This agreement is another step towards realizing a system of education in which Yukon First Nations and communities are decision makers for their children’s education. We are honoured and grateful to Champagne and Aishihik First Nations in breaking trail for this important work for all of our school communities.”
– Shadelle Chambers, Trustee, First Nation School Board

Quick facts

  • The First Nation School Board in the Yukon was established in February 2022, through processes outlined in the Education Act including school-attendance-area referenda. This enables Yukon First Nations to assume shared authority with Government of Yukon in the delivery of public-school education in the territory.
  • The First Nation School Board now operates 11 schools across the Yukon. These schools are for all Yukon students and They aim to promote reconciliation by enhancing a Yukon First Nations model that puts the student first, through a strengths-based, community-centered approach.
  • Community Committees empower the community to guide its own school. Community Committee agreements support this work, with the flexibility to change, adapt, and grow in They outline which powers of the Education Act will be delegated to the Community Committee and the committee will then direct and collaborate with the school board’s work in these areas.
  • Along with establishing the structure and membership of the committee itself, some examples of the various Education Act-delegations the agreements may include could be participation in annual financial, operations and organizational planning, relationship and engagement processes with administrators, co-creation and approval of school plans, policies, instructional materials, locally-developed courses, and local First Nation language programming.
  • Community Committees will replace School Councils however the two are different in that school councils can ony advise and advocate while Community Committees are the governing bodies, guiding the work of the First Nation School Board for their This structure helps bring decision-making for local schools into the hands of those most impacted and invested, and supports authentically working with the community to make student-centered decisions.
  • The Champagne and Aishihik First Nations Community Committee Agreement has now been submitted to the Minister in accordance with the Education Act.

Resources

 

Paige Hopkins Communications,
CAFN
867-634-6429
[email protected]

Roxanne Stasyszyn
Communications,
First Nation School Board
867-332-9837
[email protected]

https://cafn.ca/secscc/