ACHO DENE KOE/FORT LIARD - A new display board is promoting the importance of school attendance to everyone in Fort Liard.

The new display board outside of the Fort Liard Community Office is the culmination of a project to promote school attendance. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

The wooden display board was installed in front of the Fort Liard Community Office on Feb. 1. The structure was the culmination of a project that began a year ago.

At the time the Fort Liard District Education Authority (DEA) wanted to do a project to help improve attendance but didn't have the necessary funds. The Youth Justice Committee had money but didn't have a project.

Robert Firth, who was on both boards, brought the two together. Firth developed the idea of holding a poster competition to challenge students to think of ways to encourage their peers to stay in school.

"I know the kids here are very artistic," Firth said.

The contest ran last March and three winners were announced from both the Grade 5 to 8 and the Grade 9 to 12 divisions. The image of the first place poster in the senior division was put on T-shirts that were given to every student in Grades 5 and up.

The second part of the project was installing the display board so the posters and slogans could be brought to the attention of the larger community. One side of the board bears the message, "missing school is missing out," while the other depicts teacher Deborah Wotherspoon frowning and the message, "put a smile on my face, come to class."

The six winning posters and slogans will be rotated on the board until the end of the school year. The DEA is currently brainstorming ideas for similar projects to help empower students to stay in school, Firth said.

Since it has been installed, the display board has been generating a lot of good feedback, Firth said. Students stop to look at it regularly.

"That's their sign and that's their stuff," he said.

The display board serves the dual purpose of reminding students to come to school and alerting the broader community of the importance of attendance. The project is just one small thing but if everyone contributes something attendance will start to rise, Firth said.

Attendance is a concern at Echo Dene School and has been for some time, said Reed Smith, the school's principal.

Smith said the poster competition and the display board were both good ideas to promote attendance.

"I hope it works," Smith said.

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