A day in the life
Ulukhaktok students visit Edmonton to experience life at college and university
Kassina Ryder
Northern News Services
Saturday, May 14, 2016
ULUKHAKTOK/HOLMAN
Learning about the post-secondary experience took on a whole new meaning for a group of students from Ulukhaktok last month.
Helen Kalvak School students travelled from Ulukhaktok to Edmonton to spend three days living the lives of post-secondary students from March 31 to April 4. From left is Juliet Klengenberg, Nadine Klengenberg, Sydone Okheena, Natalja Westwood and Chloe Kanakyok. - photo courtesy of Kathy Tollenaar
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Five Helen Kalvak School students from grades 10 to 12 travelled to Edmonton on March 31 to get a first-hand look at what it means to attend college or university in the city, said teacher Kathy Tollenaar.
The goal was to reduce the anxiety of moving to a large city by showing students everything from how to open a bank account to how to navigate the transit system.
"I want them not to be scared to go but I also want them to be exited to go," Tollenaar said. "We're getting rid of the fear factor and replacing it with, hopefully, the incentive to finish up and pursue their post secondary."
Students visited MacEwan University, the University of Alberta and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.
Grade 10 student Nadine Klengenberg said the trip was a great way to practice being a student in the city.
"It's preparation," she said. "It's just to have something in mind, to see what it's like."
For months before the trip, students worked together to determine what they would need from the moment they left their homes in Ulukhaktok.
"They found out a few things about travelling, everything from having the right identification
to how to pack, what to have in your carry on, Tollenaar said. "Everything to make the experience much less stressful."
They also planned their route from the airport in Edmonton to the student residences at MacEwan University that would become their homes for the next three days, as well as routes to other destinations in the city. That meant learning how to navigate Edmonton's bus and Light Rail Transit systems. In addition to working out their tuition and other costs, students also made budgets to determine how much they would need to supply the items they would need in residence, such as bedding and toiletries, as well as a food budget.
When they arrived in the city, students put their plans into action, Tollenaar said. "We did budgeting, cooking and what does it look like to cook in residence," she said. "We were making up shopping lists and things like that to kind of prepare ourselves, and the intention then was to be down there and actually do all those things."
Having the skills to cook a healthy meal was an especially vital lesson, she added.
"The cooking part was pretty important," she said. "Oftentimes what happens is they don't have basic cooking skills and they end up eating out. That's costly and it's not healthy."
Growing up in a community without a bank made learning how to operate and maintain a bank account another key lesson, Tollenaar said.
In the weeks before the trip, Tollenaar set up appointments with TD Bank and other organizations, including aboriginal student services at each of the schools they visited.
The group spent their appointment at TD Bank learning about banking options.
"We learned the difference between a checking and savings account," Tollenaar said.
While touring the schools, students met with representatives from each campus' aboriginal groups and clubs.
"We wanted to put them in touch with the student services that target students from Northern communities," Tollenaar said.
The group returned to Ulukhaktok on April 4 and Sandra Elanik, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation's education manager, visited the school later that month to provide information on Student Financial Assistance and the Inuvialuit Education Foundation, Tollenaar said.
Elanik explained how to apply for funding, such as the process of sending transcripts and the importance of meeting deadlines.
She also told them about academic upgrading options and university preparation, Tollenaar said.
She said she hopes to recreate the trip in a biennial basis and encourages other schools to do the same.
For Klengenberg, the trip was a great first step toward planning for her future.
"You get to see what's there," she said.
The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation covered the cost of airfare for the trip and remaining costs were covered through fundraising and donations from organizations, Tollenaar said.
