This week, four high school teachers and principals from Labrador are aiming to experience Memorial through the eyes of a new student from an Aboriginal community. Dion Rideout is visiting from J.C. Erhardt Memorial in Makkovik; Tom Mugford comes to Memorial from Northern Lights Academy in Rigolet; Curtis Oliver is visiting from Amos Comenius Memorial School in Hopedale; and Juanita Skanes is here from Jens Haven Memorial School in Nain.

For four days, these intrepid teachers are living in Macpherson College, taking classes, riding the Metrobus, visiting the Marine Institute, meeting with the Aboriginal Resource Office and visiting community partners at the St. John’s Native Friendship Centre.

“I hope to share my experiences with students this upcoming school year and help them become more informed about what’s available at Memorial University,” said Curtis Oliver. “I want to let them know that there are many avenues available and that there is support in place to help them adjust to life at university. Coming from a small coastal community to a large city is a big adjustment.”

Recognizing the importance of developing relationships with Aboriginal students on the coast of Labrador well before they arrive at the St. John’s campus, Memorial’s Aboriginal Resource Office has initiated a two-year pilot project. Beginning with this week’s familiarization tour for high school teachers from the northern coast of Labrador, this project will provide several opportunities to engage both high school students and teachers through site visits and ongoing contact throughout the school year.

This familiarization visit is one step toward helping ease students’ transitions from remote Labrador communities to Memorial’s St. John’s Campus and Marine Institute. To offer a sense of scale, Mr. Rideout shared that his school in Makkovik has 65 students from kindergarten to grade 12. With a student population of 18,000, Memorial is far larger than anything these high school students have been accustomed to in their everyday lives.

“Ultimately, I want to make sure that I have most of the answers to help students with their decision-making,” said Mr. Rideout. “One of the biggest challenges for an Aboriginal student from the north coast of Labrador is the culture shock. Coming into a large city and a large university like this can certainly be daunting. If we can come up with a way to familiarize students with the city, the campus, the programming – just to make life easier for them. That is the most important goal.” 

Along with the culture shock that may come with encountering new surroundings and a much larger population, students from remote communities may also feel overwhelmed by stark differences in transportation, pace and lifestyle in St. John’s, as well as the class sizes, teaching styles and academic demands at university.

Upon return to their respective north coast communities, these teachers will assist in developing and executing a series of outreach sessions to their students during the 2015/2016 academic year. The final phase of the pilot program will take place in summer 2016, and will include a return of two familiarization tour participants to the St. John’s campus as chaperones to 14 high school students who will attend a five-day ‘Junior University.’

Sonya Clarke Casey, Aboriginal liaison officer, and Sheila Freake, Aboriginal Resource Office coordinator are leading this new program.

“My hope for this week is that when the teachers go back to their schools on the north coast, they will feel completely comfortable picking up the phone and saying ‘Sonya, I have a question for you about …,’” said Ms. Clarke Casey. “When that happens, I know we have begun paving the road for our Aboriginal students from Nunatsiavut. Relationship building is key.”

Ms. Freake hopes this program will result in building positive relationships with schools and communities in northern Labrador. “Hopefully, this project will also result in improved communication and collaboration within Nunatsiavut which will increase recruitment and retention of Aboriginal students at Memorial.”

When asked what they hoped to gain from this week’s visit, the teachers agreed that student success is paramount. “There are a lot of options available to Aboriginal students,” said Mr. Oliver. “There is an expanse of opportunities available for them. I just want to help guide the way.”  

Mr. Rideout expressed that he was grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this new program and that he feels this project will be beneficial to his community. “After spending 13 years in Makkovik, I have a personal connection to the community. If I can help more students enrol in university and support their success, that will mean a lot to me.”

Mr. Oliver agreed. “I’m hoping to increase the students’ awareness of what is expected at university, what is offered at university, the help that is available here – to know that they will come out here and will not be alone. There is a lot of assistance available. They can come here, have the experience of a lifetime, and then go back to their communities with a vast set of skills, knowledge and life experience.”