You are here
Early Childhood Education Inuit Language and Culture funding
Why is there money for Inuit* Language and Culture for Early Childhood Education?
Section 17 of the Nunavut Education Act states that the, “District Education Authority shall provide an early childhood program that promotes fluency in Inuit language and knowledge of Inuit culture.”
Who can take part in the Early Childhood Programs?
The purpose of the Early Childhood Education programs is to promote fluency in the Inuit Language and knowledge of Inuit Culture in children ages 0 to 6. The early childhood programs are for children who have not turned 6 years old by December 31st of the schools year and who are not yet in grade 1. Children in kindergarten are eligible to attend these programs, but only when they are not required to be in school.
How do we run an early childhood program for Language and Culture?
There are two ways that DEA’s can provide an early childhood education program for Language and Culture:
- A DEA can create and operate its own early childhood education program – this could be a language nest, a lending library, a parent and tot group, etc.; OR
- A DEA can support an existing early childhood program through funding, staffing or providing resources – this could be a daycare, preschool, language nest, parent and tot group, library program, etc.
The DEA may choose to do either or both of these; it is up to each DEA to decide what will work best for their community.
Some Important Things to Remember:
- Deadline for Proposals for Early Childhood Education Programs is February 28 each year
- Deadline for Mid-Year Report on Early Childhood Education Programs is October 31 each year
- Deadline for Final Report on Early Childhood Education Programs is April 30 each year
- Only children ages 0-6 are eligible to participate in or benefit from these programs
- Receipts for expenses must be included in the final report
*For programs falling under the Commission scolaire francophone du Nunavut (CSFN), this reference is modified to refer to promotion of French language and francophone culture.