MITTIMATALIK/POND INLET
Jedidah Merkosak thinks children need a strong educational foundation in life, and with six successful offspring of her own, she should know.

Jedidah Merkosak, right, plays with students at Pond Inlet's Pirurvik Preschool. A mother of six, Merkosak believes in the importance of education. - photo courtesy of Tessa Lochhead

"I feel education is very important to our younger generation," said Merkosak, an early childhood education instructor at Nunavut Arctic College in Pond Inlet.

She grew up in the community and has seen her six children, now ranging in age from 24 to 39, grow into successful careers in law, mining and more.

"Our younger generation is our future and they're already here and they need to have good education, a good foundation in order to lead Nunavut," she said.

Merkosak is also working at the new Pirurvik Preschool, which opened Jan. 14 with the mission to offer children an exploratory, self-directed style of learning, one in line with traditional ways of education for Nunavummiut.

Having a preschool at all is a great benefit for the community, said Merkosak.

"Two of my children were in daycare for a short time while I was substituting at an elementary school quite a while ago, and I noticed they were more ready for kindergarten than the other children," she said.

"Children can learn while playing cognitively and physically. This particular preschool we have in our community helps focus on inclusivity, so that means anybody's included, regardless of what race you are."

Earlier in the territory's history, schools focused on a Western-style of teaching, she said. Merkosak remembers not being allowed to speak her own language in class.

In the future, the Pirurvik Preschool aims to include the older generation in students' learning, as well.

"We're hoping to have elders in our preschool in the future so the little kids can be around elders and learn from the elders," said Merkosak.

For now, she's not just proud of the little ones but of her students in the early childhood education program too.

"We're very fortunate to have dedicated students in early childhood education at Arctic College and they're doing really well," said Merkosak.