4th annual First Nation Education Conference wraps up in Whitehorse

It was day one of the First Nation Education Conference in Whitehorse when Melanie Bennett started to relax and enjoy herself.

Bennett is executive director of the Yukon First Nation Education Directorate (YFNED), which organized the conference. The event is in its fourth year, but she still gets nervous before it all comes together.

"We've been working on this for a year," Bennett said. "And you go, 'OK, my fingers are crossed, everything is gonna go well.' And so far, so good."

Almost 400 people registered for the conference, which kicked off Wednesday at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre. 200 are attending in person, with the remainder tuning in via Zoom.

Educators are in Whitehorse from all over Canada, and Bennett said people from other countries are participating virtually as well. 

"It's spring break here, and I thought everybody would be gone," Bennett said. "I'm really happy to say that they did come. It just shows how dedicated our people in the Yukon are to education."

It's been a year of big change in Yukon's education system.

This is the YFNED'S first conference since the territory's First Nation School Board formally took control of eight schools in the Yukon.The board is an entity separate from the education directorate, but the organizations work together closely. 

Bennett says she's proud of what the board's done under the leadership of executive director Melissa Flynn.

"It's an honour to see the seed that has been set, and it's going to grow," Bennett said. "Melissa Flynn is doing a stellar job."

Flynn, who became the new board's executive director a year ago this week, said the first year was full of learning.

She said the board was able to connect with school communities closely, and meet their needs in ways that worked for them. That includes working with a mobile therapeutic unit that's been in communities across the territory to deliver supports like speech language pathology and occupational therapy.

The board also introduced a new literacy program designed to meet kids at their level and provide more one-on-one support.

Three more schools will join the First Nation School Board this year, following a recent referendum.