RANKIN INLET - A Rankin Inlet conference earlier this month aimed at improving the curriculum at community learning centres is being hailed as a tremendous success by organizers.

The Uqausiliriniq (Working with Words) conference focused on Inuktitut and Inuit Qaujiniajatuqangit (IQ) for adult learners, as well as improving support for adult educators, and was conducted entirely in Inuktitut.

The event was organized by Inuktitut language instructor Nellie Kusugak, who received a great deal of help from Rankin's adult educator, Angie Kubluitok.

The two were supported by community program co-ordinator Gerry Pflueger of Rankin Inlet.

Pflueger said every adult educator and Inuktitut-speaking instructor in the Kivalliq attended the event.

She said an elder who works with the learning centre in each community also attended the conference.

"It was absolutely the most fabulous conference we've held, as far as the reports I got back from those who attended," said Pflueger.

"We also had the elders here who do Inuktitut curriculum development and support for the Department of Education, so we had a great combination of people from different departments."

Kusugak said a number of those who attended brought Inuktitut teaching resources with them to share with the other participants.

She said the conference progressed more smoothly than most because there was no need for translations during the three-day event.

"We will release the vision created during the conference for teaching Inuktitut and IQ in the community learning centres in the near future," said Kusugak.

"A full conference report and action plan are also being developed."

The gathering was videotaped to respect oral tradition, and a summary will be burned to DVD and, once edited, sent to the participants.

Kusugak said the conference was very open to encourage people to share their thoughts and ideas.

She said the meeting was geared towards trying to get more resources for Inuktitut programming at community learning centres.

"When education workers talk about schools and other educational institutions, community learning centres are always left out," she said.

"So, this was a time for elders, educators, curriculum developers and other invited parties to focus on the learning centres and look at what they'd like to see changed at that level."

Kusugak said the idea of having an elder at each community learning centre as part of a support team with the adult educator was well-received by the participants.

She said the learning atmosphere is different when an elder who cares about the students is involved.

"There's a serenity within the room and everyone has a more positive outlook.

"I don't know if that's felt more by people who grew up with grandparents or elders around all the time, but it's definitely present."

Kusugak said it's important for those who return to school to feel their time at the learning centre is well-spent and could make a difference in their lives.

She said the timing of the programs being taught was another issue keenly discussed.

"Our school year is September to March, but now would be a good time to have students in because our meat-drying season is almost upon us and the fishing season is just around the corner," she said.

"This would be the perfect time for practical teaching because people in the North will always hunt and fish, so you need those skills.

"Even though we have technology now, you still need to know how to read ice conditions, tell direction in bad weather and many other skills to survive on the land."

Kusugak said the elders also benefit from interacting with younger people because life changes from generation to generation.

She said everyone has to learn to adapt to changes in the North.

"Every learning centre outside of Rankin would love to have rooms added to do meat and skin preparation and hold shop classes," she said.

"Many young parents come into our program and another thing talked about was the need for parenting skills.

"With so many children having children today, it would be beneficial to offer parenting skills because the proper rearing of a child is so very, very important."