Department of Education and QIA share Nunavut- developed Early Childhood Education Resources
For Immediate Release
Department of Education and QIA share Nunavut- developed Early Childhood Education Resources
IQALUIT, Nunavut (July 26, 2019) – Minister of Education, David Joanasie, and President of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA), P.J. Akeeagok, are very proud to announce that new, Nunavut-developed early childhood education resources are being shared with child care facilities across the territory.
“Early childhood Inuktut resources are key to keeping our language alive.” said Minister of Education, David Joanasie. “Children learn better when their learning tools reflect their environment, language and culture. These Nunavut-developed resources will certainly enable our young generations to preserve and strengthen their Inuit identity.”
“I am proud to share these early childhood education resources which reflect our language and culture,” says QIA President, Akeeagok. “These puzzles, toys, and books allow our children to learn, play, and imagine themselves in a world that celebrates our Inuk-identity and mother-tongue.”
QIA and the Department of Education have respectively invested $700,000 and $1.8 million over three years to develop these resources in a fruitful partnership that reflects Inuit life and culture.
The QIA-developed resources will accompany the Department of Education-developed resources which are being distributed to 55 licensed facilities, including afterschool and preschool locations. A number of the resources in the spring package were also developed as part of QIA’s Benefit Fund Program.
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Media Contacts:
Jean-Philippe Laprise
Manager, Communications
Department of Education
@email
867-975-5645
Sima Sahar Zerehi
Director of Communications
Qikiqtani Inuit Association
@email
867.975.8413 1.800.667.2742
What are the QIA/EDU resources?
The spring resource boxes, which have started arriving in child care facilities across Nunavut, include many items such as:
1. Tray puzzles
2. Floor puzzles
3. Arctic animal puppets and canvas bag: polar bear, muskox, caribou, rabbit, fox
4. Puppet storybooks: Tuktu’s Journey
5. i, pi, ti, ki playing cards
6. High-contrast books: Inuit Clothing, Shapes and Patterns
7. Search-and-find book – Ukaliq and Kalla Go Summer Camping
8. Sequence Books – Making a Qamutiik, Fishing in the Summertime
9. Baby sign language book
10. Daily activity cards
Due to the volume of contents, the resources are arriving in four packages: two packages were previously distributed to centers, the third spring package has just been sent, and the final package will be distributed in the fall.
ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᑦ ᑐᓴᒐᒃᓴᙳᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐱᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑑᖓᓗᑎᒃ, ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑎᑐᑦ, ᐃᓄᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᓐ ᐅᐃᕖᑎᑐᓪᓗ ᐅᕙᓂ, www.gov.nu.ca.
News releases are available in Inuktitut, English, Inuinnaqtun and French on www.gov.nu.ca.
Tuhaqtaghat ittut Inuktitut, Qablunaatitut, Inuinnaqtun Uiviititullu talvani www.gov.nu.ca.
Les communiqués de presse sont disponibles en inuktitut, en anglais, en inuinnaqtun et en français au www.gov.nu.ca.
Communications 2019-NR18