Stay-in-school campaign kicks off in Nunavik
Songwriting workshop tours region as part of School Perseverance Days
Starting in February, windows of Nunavik homes and cars will display messages encouraging students to stay in school.
Decal stickers will be mailed out early in the month as part of the campaign, called School Perseverance Days, which runs from Feb. 17 to 20.
The annual campaign is supported by the Kativik Regional Government and organized by ESUMA—a group aimed at increasing graduation rates in Nunavik with the help of several organizations in the region.
The program encourages Nunavimmiut of all ages to contribute to the educational success of youth.
As part of School Perseverance Days, ESUMA has partnered with Influencers Motivating Influencers, who toured the region this summer and uses performance to discuss mental health and wellness.
With funding from the KRG and Air Inuit, artists Hyper-T and Angela Amarualik are touring Nunavik from Jan. 20 to Feb. 18, hosting songwriting workshops with students. Nunavik youth will co-create a song with lyrics from every school about persevering in education.
The tour dates are as follows:
- Jan 20 – Kangiqsualujjuaq
- Jan 22 – Tasiujaq
- Jan 24 – Aupaluk
- Jan 26 – Kangirsuk
- Jan 28 – Quaqtaq
- Jan 30 – Kangiqsujuaq
- Feb 1 – Salluit
- Feb 4 – Ivujivik
- Feb 6 – Akulivik
- Feb 8 – Puvirnituq
- Feb 11– Inukjuak
- Feb 13 – Umiujaq
- Feb 15 – Kuujjuaraapik
- Feb 18 – Kuujjuaq
Any school staff interested in the project or wanting to get involved can contact David DeVos at influencersmotivate@gmail.com or by phone at 306-307-5312. For more information on School Perseverance Days and the work of ESUMA, contact info@esuma.ca.
I don’t think staying in school will cut it for our youth, who decide to stay. How can you say! Stay in School and in the end have nothing to show of what you accomplished even with all your best effort. It’s not the stay in School that’s our issue. Our issue is a dysfunctional education system that is failing our young people in a Nunavik big time. The real message needs to go to those that are keeping our education from getting on the main stream like the rest of the country. I think our students are just fine, it’s the educators and the system that needs attention.