A total of $150,000 in financial support has been awarded to 24 Yukon projects from the Victoria Gold Yukon Student Encouragement Society’s Every Student, Every Day fund.
Eighteen Yukon schools, school councils and First Nations governments will implement 24 projects during the 2021-22 school year.
The projects are designed to assist with student attendance by “removing barriers and encouraging increased engagement and a greater sense of being at school.”
“The entire Victoria Gold team is very proud to help support Every Student, Every Day and we recognize that by working together, we can all help address barriers to regular school attendance in our territory’s schools,” said John McConnell, Victoria Gold President and CEO and Every Student, Every Day co-founder.
Minister of Education Jeanie McLean said during the pandemic student attendance has become more important than ever before.
“With the recent report on high rates of absenteeism from Yukon’s Child and Youth Advocate Office and all of the challenges related to learning during a pandemic, focusing on student attendance and engagement is more important than ever,” said McLean.
Community and school-based attendance projects support the government’s work at “the grassroots level”, said McLean.
“Our schools and school communities provide the critical support and encouragement our students need to be motivated to attend classes and ready and able to learn,” the minister said.
Tara Christie, Victoria Gold Yukon Encouragement Society President said one of the most important things students can do is also “one of the most basic”.
“By working together as a community to support regular school attendance, we can all help prepare our children for success, both in school and in life,” said Christie.
A committee of Department of Education staff and society representatives selected the successful projects.
Established in 2021, Every Student, Every Day has supported more than 140 local projects with over $1.2 million raised. Yukon government contributes $30,000 annually.
Contact John Tonin at john.tonin@yukon-news.com
