RANKIN INLET
A group of 23 students from Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik (MUI) in Rankin Inlet are being exposed to southern culture in Ontario this week.
Aspen Chapman and Mike Fiegehen of Southampton, Ont., hold a Nunavut flag autographed by the Rankin and Southampton exchange students in Rankin Inlet this past week. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo |
The Grade 7 and Grade 8 students are participating in an exchange program with students from G.C. Houston Public School in Southampton, Ont.
The Ontario youths, also numbering 23, returned to their hometown this past week after seven days in Rankin.
This excursion marks the seventh exchange program MUI teacher Lisa Kresky has been involved with in Rankin.
Six of the seven programs, including this year's, have been conducted through the Canadian Sport and Friendship Exchange Program.
Kresky said the Southampton students took part in numerous culturally-orientated activities while in Rankin.
She said the students got to experience dog sleds, ice fishing, building a toy qamutiik, visiting the elder's cabin, attending a community feast, Inuit games, drum dancing and throatsinging.
"There was a talent show on their last night in Rankin and a number of them took part in that, as well," said Kresky.
"They also tried various types of country food, which, of course, is a big change from their normal diet."
Kresky said taking part in the exchange program provides many benefits to the MUI students.
She said the program often brings out the best of them in many areas.
"They really develop a sense of pride when the southern kids are here, because they get to show their community and culture to other people.
"They develop their self-confidence and a sense of independence when we travel south, because they're travelling with their friends, not mom and dad.
"They also gain new friendships with all the people they meet through the program.
"All the kids, whether they're from here or southern Canada, get to see the world's so much bigger than what they may have imagined."
Kresky said the students are matched very well for the exchange programs and usually get along quite good.
She said some youths stay in touch and remain good friends long after the program is over.
"We Skyped with this group before they came.
"So we actually got to see them over the computer, which does help to get the program off to a good start.
"We only had one group of students over the years who, more or less, kept mainly to themselves while in Rankin.
"The main issue behind that, however, was the kids were from Quebec and didn't feel really confident with their English."
Kresky said although many of the exchange activities are done at the school, the kids don't take part in any official school work while in the host community.
She said students have to apply to take part in the program, and that means meeting school criteria.
"They have to have good attendance, be respectful, be caught up on all their school work and be trying their best in their respective classes.
"We try and take an equal number of students from both the Grade 7 and Grade 8 class, if possible.
"Some of the kids who aren't selected are probably quite disappointed, but if they apply in Grade 7 and don't get picked, they get to try again in Grade 8.
"We have numerous kids on our trip this year who applied this past year, but weren't selected."
The Canadian Sport and Friendship Exchange Program pays a percentage of each student's flight.
The students and their organizing teachers have to fundraise to pay the remainder.
The program also pays for a percentage of the group's activities, and they're expected to fundraise to pay for the rest.
The students can be billeted with host families when they visit a community, with the vast majority being hosted by their buddy student.
A few may be billeted with relatives of their buddy student partner, depending on the household.
Kresky said that approach is getting tougher and tougher to do, depending on where the kids come from.
She said it depends on the rules of the school board in the area they're from.
"The parents of a lot of the host families really take to the kids and make them feel almost like they're another member of the family.
"In fact, the parents can often be as excited as their kids to have a student from the south come stay with them so they can hear their stories on what their communities, schools and homes are like.
"We're staying in a hotel this trip, so it's going to be a little bit different, but sometimes our kids can find it a little shocking when they get to the south and find themselves with a 9 p.m. curfew in the household they're billeted at.
"But we also have a full itinerary this trip, so I don't think there will be any problem getting them to bed each night."
