Students in Norway House, Manitoba, may soon have a new way to earn high school credits by learning about the land and traditional culture. The Frontier School Division announced on January 10, 2026, that it has launched a four-week course called Stewardship and Connection in Churchill. While the program is currently running for students in Churchill, local school trustees are looking at ways to bring these outdoor learning opportunities to Norway House.
The course uses a method called Two-Eyed Seeing, which combines Western science with Indigenous knowledge. Students learn about the local environment, such as how ice forms and how animals move, by using both modern research and traditional stories from Elders. This approach helps students see the world through two different perspectives to get a better understanding of nature.
Participants can earn a ‘+1’ School-Initiated Project (SIP) credit under Manitoba Education’s framework for completing the intensive four-week program. The school division aims to help youth prepare for future jobs in areas like environmental protection and managing natural resources. According to SAY Magazine, these land-based programs are part of a larger plan to make education more practical for northern communities.
Staff members, including Science/STEM Instructional Coach Jacqueline Monteith, who is associated with the ‘Science in the Subarctic’ project, helped create the lessons to get students out of the classroom. Leaders in Norway House are now exploring how to adapt the program to focus on the local forest and lake. This would allow students to gain hands-on skills and cultural knowledge while working toward their graduation.
