Officials from the Labrador Inuit Association (LIA), Memorial University, and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador gathered today for a special ceremony to launch an interactive board game designed for Inuit youth. The game - called the Career Learning Game -- seeks to blend greater awareness of career options and fun.

The board game is a joint effort of the LIA, including the LIA Post-Secondary Student Support Programs; the Counselling Foundation of Canada; and Memorial's Department of Career Development and Experiential Learning. The game was developed to assist Inuit students identify future career paths and what is required to effectively prepare them for the future. Research indicates that career information is a missing link for most students in the preparation of their careers.

The game includes a game board, specially developed game pieces with careers noted on each, individual game cards, and a teacher preparation package that identifies what types of careers are available and what type of education is required to prepare the individual for a specific career.

“This game is about helping young people look at careers and opening their vistas to new and innovative careers,” said Dr. Lilly Walker, Memorial's dean of Student Affairs and Services, the unit responsible for the Department of Career Development and Experiential Learning. “The game challenges people to look beyond their horizons and find new places where they feel they belong and where they can create their futures.”

Lucy Brennan, LIA post-secondary co-ordinator, stressed the need to highlight to Inuit youth the benefits of education. “Education has always been and continues to be a top priority for the Labrador Inuit Association, she said. “For most people, and especially the young, making academic and career choices is a formidable challenge. The pace of change, the uncertainty of employment weigh heavily on the decision making process. We need to instill in our people the importance of education at all levels.”

Saw the need firsthand

During her remarks at the ceremony, Jodie Strangemore, LIA educational counselor, and the person responsible for the innovative idea, noted that the game grew out of a need she herself observed. “The career game started out during my visits to Labrador's north coast, and in my discussions with students I realized that they didn't have a whole lot of exposure to all the various careers available,” she explained to the audience of government officials, LIA board members, aboriginal students and university faculty and staff. “We wanted to broaden student horizons, give them the opportunities for direction. The kids loved the game, asking about careers, so we brought it to Memorial and got it professionally developed. I am so pleased with how it turned out. Thank you to Memorial.”

William Anderson III, LIA president, stressed the importance of education in resolving Inuit issues. “As you may well know, we are headed into a brand new era in the Inuit community whereby we have completed negotiations of our land claim agreement and are awaiting ratification by the two levels of government,” he said. “For the past 20-25 years our education team and the association has tried to lean very heavily toward education for our people. It is very encouraging to see a institution like Memorial putting so much effort into addressing the educational needs of our young people in Labrador. We very much appreciate the cooperation and assistance of this great institution. Even though we have been at this for 20 or more years, and this is just the beginning of a whole new era where a lot more can be done to encourage our young people to continue their education.”

Tom Rideout, minister, Aboriginal Affairs, minister of Works, Services and Transportation said, “Initiatives like this new career learning game prepare our students for the future, that is why this it such a valuable project. Providing valuable career path information to our youth is a critical tool for the building of our province's labour force of the future. Finding jobs for our young people tomorrow starts with effective career planning today.”

President Axel Meisen noted that “the traditional ways of interesting young people in education and a career work for many, but they don't always work for all…it is important to add innovative procedures, processes and experiences for engaging our youth. I think in this game we have an excellent example of innovation. Games are a really innovative way of engaging children in becoming educated and better informed.”