KINNGAIT/CAPE DORSET
It's been a trying year for students in Cape Dorset following the fire at Peter Pitseolak High School that destroyed the structure just weeks into the fall semester last year.

Award founder Nick Newbery, left, award winner Cecile Noolook, Peter Pitseolak school principal Cliff Steeves and Cape Dorset award name-sake Annie Manning pose with the Perseverance Award. - photo courtesy of Heidi Janes

But their perseverance is not going unnoticed.

"It's not easy. I'm sure a lot of them don't feel like going to school when they don't have a school that they can call their own," said Annie Manning, a former teacher in the community.

"And it's not just them, we've all been affected by the school that was burnt down."

In Cape Dorset, the annual Annie Manning Perseverance Award, given to a student who shows determination and ability to overcame challenges was handed out in mid-March to not only an individual student but the entire student body and staff at the high school.

Nick Newbery, the award's founder and former teacher of 30 years in Nunavut, said this is what the award is all about.

"During my time, I noticed a lot of students dropped out of school and now we're seeing they're starting to come back because they notice school is a ticket to a job.

"They're starting to come back in Grade 10 and trying to stay in," said Newbery, from his home in Halifax where he now teaches Northern studies at Mount St. Vincent University.

"I've created an award in seven Nunavut schools to reward children who have come back and are doing their best to stay in school."

The Perseverance Award was first given out in Iqaluit in 2002, and has gradually grown to encompass other communities since. In each school, a different community member's name, such as Manning's, is put to the award as a local person to look up to and represent resilience.

Newbery was in Cape Dorset to hand out the award along with Manning, first to Grade 10 student Cecile Noolook, and then as a surprise to the whole student body.

"They have done really well. The students are still coming to school - the teachers have worked their butts off. Everything disappeared, just like that, and you're in Dorset, you can't get in a car and drive down to Toronto and pick things up," said Newbery.

"All I could think of was a gesture would be nice, so I called Annie and said, 'Would you allow us to create a group award in your name,' and it might encourage them to see the situation and feel that they're doing really well."

Hearing the suggestions, Manning said she thought it was fabulous.

"We need more encouragement," she said. "We need to give out more and recognize the people that are doing their best to stay in school."

Both Newbery and Manning said the response to the award was very positive, and a batch of 200 cupcakes to celebrate, baked by Sam Pitseolak school teacher Heidi Janes, was much appreciated.

With many challenges in communities, including low graduation rates, suicide epidemics and incidents such as the devastating fire at Peter Pitseolak, Manning had a strong message to send to all students to stay in school, look to a future career and pursue your dreams.

"We have to dream because there is so much destruction happening in the communities," she said. "You have to have a dream, you have to have faith within yourself and keep going regardless of these things that are happening."