.
North from Alaska
Development program rooted in cultural values

Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Oct 18/00) - A new program is aimed at helping children and parents learn together.

The early childhood development program was presented last week during a four-day workshop in Rankin Inlet.

Paul Sugar was brought in from Bethel, Alaska, to present the home-family-visiting model through a joint effort of the Department of Education and Nunavut Arctic College.

The workshops were attended by people from across Nunavut involved with various aspects of child development.

Sugar says the program is in its third year in Bethel and is grounded in cultural values.

Once a week, for about 90 minutes, a local person goes into a family's home to sit, talk and work with parents and kids.

Activities are geared to a child's early development and include giving ideas to parents, bringing materials and playing games.

Sugar says program workers start talking with expectant moms and work right through until children begin kindergarten.

"With this program in Alaska, other than myself, all the people involved are native Yup'ik Alaskans," says Sugar.

"All work done in the home is in the first language of Yup'ik to strengthen and ground the child in their native language."

Sugar says the program tries to ensure kids receive the best early development possible.He adds the program is available to anyone and focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of individual children.

The program's exclusive use of first language in the home has produced some dramatic results.

"I had a Yup'ik grandfather come up to me with tears in his eyes because his grandson was able to speak Yup'ik with him while doing a traditional activity.

"With the Inuktitut factor here, and the program's grounding in family, first language and culture, it is well suited to be adapted into Nunavut's early childhood development plan."