On October 25, the First Nations Education Council (FNEC) is proud to announce the official launch of the First Nations Preschool Cycle Program. A collaborative effort between the FNEC and preschool teachers from its member communities, the program stands out with its holistic approach to learning, by considering the overall context of each child, including their family, community, identity, and more, to promote their development and learning. Teachers from FNEC member schools played a pivotal role in shaping the program, and some had the opportunity to experiment with it in their classrooms. This innovative and forward-thinking initiative promotes the delivery of high-quality, culturally appropriate education for all children who attend FNEC member schools.
The First Nations Preschool Cycle Program is based on three key components of holistic learning:
- Lifelong learning that fosters the transfer of knowledge from one generation to the next and continuous learning throughout every stage of life;
- Diverse sources of knowledge that encourage learning rooted in personal, family, and community experience, language, traditions, and draw on both ancestral and modern knowledge;
- Collective well-being that values a learning environment in which all community members play an active role.
A groundbreaking initiative, it weaves together language, culture, the land, Indigenous arts, strong school-community-partnerships, and active parental involvement in its methodology.
The dynamic program is complemented by an array of specially developed tools for teaching, including an activity workbook and a children's literature box featuring works by First Peoples authors. This approach encourages children to take pride in their culture, and that is part of the vision at the heart of the program.
''The First Nations Preschool Cycle Program is a significant step in the FNEC's mission to support the complete control of education by and for First Nations, by integrating the principles of lifelong learning and the preservation of cultural traditions'', explained FNEC Director General Denis Gros-Louis.
''We look forward to seeing children grow and learn thanks to this program, and we are confident that it will have a positive impact on the young learners in our member communities'', added Annie Gros-Louis, Director of FNEC's Educational Services.
