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M’CHIGEENG—This year’s Open House, on May 21 at Kenjgewin Teg, was set up differently than last year’s. High school students from neighbouring schools arrived in the morning and were given tours and hands-on learning experiences. In the afternoon, the school was open to the public, who were also provided tours of the facility, learning all about the ongoing programs, as well as those coming up in the summer and fall of this year.

Tours of the classrooms included the Pathways program, where students are given the opportunity to finish high school and receive their diploma; the Health and Wellness lab, where hands-on learning happens, and the Trades building where carpentry, welding and heavy equipment training are taught, which is also a hands-on experience for students. In addition to these spaces, there was the teaching lodge, where smudge teaching was ongoing throughout the day, and the medicine garden provided a ‘human library’ of success stories provided by alumni and upcoming graduates.

In the Health Lab, Rebecca Wright and Kayla Kay were providing the tour of life-like manikins and their real-life symptoms of various diseases and ailments. “Our lab is set up in the same setting as any acute care setting or hospital setting. It also matches what students would be working with when they graduate, in the actual hospitals here on the Island. So, all of our pumps are the same pumps you would see at both of our hospitals. They’re real hospital beds, all of the IVs work, the oxygen pumps work,” Ms. Wright explained. The only difference being, they use manikins, not real people, providing an opportunity to make a mistake or two, without dire consequences.

“When students come here, there’s often this misconception that you don’t get as good of an education because we’re on Manitoulin or because we’re a much smaller school. It’s not the case,” Ms. Wright explained. “More often than not, you actually get a deeper sense of learning the material and learning the environment because your cohorts are so small. So, for instance, the class of nursing students that will graduate in June, there’s four of them. So, they’ve become very, very close,” Ms. Wright said.

No better advertisement for the school could be found than in the Medicine Garden; the Human Library, where Jody, John and Ace sat talking to those who came by, telling of their experiences at the school and beyond. Their enthusiasm and self confidence were evident in their words and their manner. Jody, a Pathways graduate explained that he had always found school a fearful, hurtful place. “When I walked through the doors of Kenjgewin Teg, I didn’t know what I was getting into,” he said, “I didn’t know what to expect and I didn’t know what would happen.” But he praised the teachers for their patience, compassion and dedication to helping him overcome his fears and frustrations. “This is one of my families,” he said. “I was never adopted as a foster kid, but everywhere I go, I’m getting adopted now. A lot of brothers and sisters.”

John took the welding course at Kenjgewin Teg last term. “That first week, you get an introduction to the Boilermakers Union in Sudbury. And then the recruit comes in, he gives you a rundown on positions and how to get recruited. And right then and there, I was hooked,” John said. “From then on, I’ve had a goal. So as soon as I had my goal to get into the Union, now I’m welding. All my applications, all my goals are oriented towards now getting that job, that apprenticeship, right? Getting a career started,” he said. 

“We invited John back for tutoring,” Debbie Debasssige explained. Ms. Debassige is Dean and Director of Post Secondary Education and Trades. “We made it open, welcoming for him to come back.”

“They arranged with Dave Barnes and Jade Peltier to help me prepare for my test at the Boilermakers Union,” John said. “So, the support has been amazing. Like, incredible.”

Ace sat quietly, but John attested to the fact that Ace was a far better welder that he is. John also mentioned the beautiful beadwork that Ace has done in addition to their excellent welding skills. Ace will finish the course in a few weeks’ time.

Kenjgewin Teg offers a variety of courses and levels, its uniqueness is its cultural teachings embedded in the fabric of the institution, and the faculty and staff go above and beyond for the success of their students. Check them out, they not only offer post secondary education and trade courses, their Anishinaabe studies are available to all kenjgewinteg.ca.