Learn-to-sew programs to be offered as evening activity

A Cree high school in Alberta is one of four in the province that has received funding from the TransCanada Equipment Grant.
The Nipisihkopah Secondary School, located on the Maskwacis First Nation, is using its $10,000 grant to upgrade its fashion program.

But Alvina Flormann, the principal at the school, said it won’t just be students who benefit from the equipment upgrades.

The school has already spent $8,400 of its grant money.
Purchases include eight new sewing machines, a pair of sergers and some tables for the machines.

“The rest of the money will go towards supplies we need,” Flormann said.

The Nipisihkopah school had 264 students registered this past school year. Almost 80 of them took a fashion class.

Flormann believes one of the reasons her school was awarded a grant was because her proposal included how others in the community would also benefit.

The Maskwacis First Nation has been plagued by crime, violence and drugs. Flormann wrote in her proposal that if grant money was given to the school it would allow officials to run learn-to-sew programs in the evenings for community youth and their family members.

Flormann reasoned such a program would help keep some young people off the streets while engaging in a more productive venture.

“We are losing many of our youth to street culture,” she said. “So for our evening sessions we will be targeting parents and their kids who are in Grades 8-12. But it will also be available to anybody that wants to come out and do some beadwork.”

Flormann was thrilled her school was one of the four chosen to receive a $10,000 grant.

“It was really nice,” she said. “Our board of directors and our superintendent were very happy. We try to find various ways to augment our curriculum.”

Flormann had sent her proposal prior to the grant application deadline in early April. School officials were notified they would be one of the four grant recipients in May.

The Nipishkopah school is for students from Grades 8 through 12. Those in Grades 8 and 9 are required to take a fashion-related course. For others in the higher grades it is an optional class.

Flormann is confident community members will also take advantage of the learn-to-sew programs, which are scheduled to begin in the evenings this September. She expects those from the community to attend the classes and to create their Native dance outfits.

“That’s the intention,” she said. “We have a lot of families in our community that dance. They are generational families and hopefully others will get into it.”

Flormann is not sure how many individuals will take advantage of the evening sessions.

“If it is used every week then I think that will be successful,” she said. “I can’t give you numbers though.”

The grant money was available for schools to purchase equipment in order to upgrade their trade and technology labs. The successful schools were chosen based on the quality of their applications, the demand from students for increased access to equipment and the innovation in the school‘s approach to skill and leadership development.