by Jennifer Pritchett
Northern News Services

CORAL HARBOUR (Dec 03/97) - Eight students are the beginning of a new start for families in Coral Harbour.

They are learning to be early childhood educators for the community's first day- care centre, and they know they can make a difference for families.

"It's going to do a lot (for the community) -- single parents will be able to get jobs or go back to school," said Bobbie Nakoolak, who will graduate from the program Dec. 19.

The 23-year-old, Bobbie, plans to work in the community's first day-care centre when it opens sometime in 1998 because she believes it's a step in the right direction for the community.

Nakoolak's cousin Eva, 28, who's also enrolled in the course, agrees.

"Coral Harbour has needed a day care for a long time," she said.

The class of eight are getting their certification to work in day-care centre through a six-month course offered by Nunavut Arctic College. It is the first class in early childhood development in Coral Harbour. And for the time being, there are no plans to offer the course again.

It was a one-time deal to train the workers for the new day-care centre that will open when the renovations on the community hall are complete.

The class was in Rankin Inlet last week for a five days at the community's two day-care centres.

This on-the-job experience was the first time the students received training at a day-care centre and they benefitted from the experience, according to their instructor Helen dePeuter.

"I think it was important for them to see a real daycare so they could get a concrete idea of what we'd been discussing in class," she said.

Eva Nakoolak said that the experience was particularly useful for her because it was her first exposure to children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).

"One of our courses was on FAS, but (I've learned) even if a child has FAS, you have to treat them like a normal child -- treat them equally," she said.

Generally, the hands-on experience has taught all eight women about the overall operations of a day-care centre.

"A day care is not just a place for babysitting, it's a place for learning," said Bobbie Nakoolak.

The students look forward to the day the Coral Harbour day-care centre opens so they can begin to work.

"I'm just hoping there's lots of kids when the day care opens," joked Eva Nakoolak.