Educators Florina Scott and Rena Monias launched a successful Early Years Beading Club for Grade 2 and 3 students at the school in St. Theresa Point, Manitoba. Since its inception, the program has helped young children connect with Indigenous traditions and foster creativity through hands-on projects.
The program began as an after-school activity where children can focus, work on their coordination, and learn more about their culture. Both Scott and Monias joined the community as teachers with Gakino’amaage: Teach For Canada, a non-profit group that helps find and support teachers for northern communities.
The St. Theresa Point Education Authority says that keeping the local language and heritage alive is a top priority for the community. Educators noted that students who sometimes find regular classroom work difficult have found success by picking out their own patterns and counting beads for their designs.
St. Theresa Point is a fly-in community of more than 4,000 people located on Island Lake, roughly 650 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. The school system there focuses on learning that connects students to the land and uses teachings from community elders to keep local traditions strong.
