Building community through education

Assiniboine Community College’s (ACC) Mature Student High School (MSHS) program offered in God’s Lake Narrows has been running for fourteen years and has graduated over 75 students. It’s one of our most successful MSHS programs.

God’s Lake Narrows is a small fly-in First Nation community in Northern Manitoba. Not having a high school within the community forces their teens to travel south to Cranberry Portage or Thompson.

“At times this causes challenges for students as they relocate without their families and proper community support,” said Councilor Henry Nazzie. This results in a high attrition rate making ACC’s Mature Student High School program a great partnership with the First Nation community, providing a needed service.

ACC’s Mature High School program allows individuals to finish high school or improve their grades for post-secondary education in a supportive learning environment. The college provides this program and other community-based training throughout the province.

There is a push for education in the region. “Our Mature Student High School Program in God’s Lake Narrows is successful due to community support,” said Brody Tegg, Adult Education Coordinator at ACC. “Our program is a stepping stone for further education to bring qualified people back to the community.”

Each year, the enrolment numbers and graduates from the MSHS program increases. “It is a very successful program,” said Councilor Nazzie. “I would like to see it continue.”

There are exciting projects on the horizon for the community. “A new school is proposed to be built in the near future with completion hopefully by 2019,” said Councilor Nazzie. “This school will be for K-12 providing updated facilities and a much needed service of local high school education.” In addition to this, an all season road is scheduled to be built in the next ten years.

“ACC is proud to partner with a variety of communities throughout the province providing community-based programing,” said Tegg.

Councilor Nazzie is looking to the future for more educational opportunities in their region. “I would like to see community-based training in trades like electrical, carpentry and mechanics as well as facility maintenance,” he said. With many of the certified tradespeople in the community near retiring age, they are looking to train younger individuals.

Whether it is college or university type courses providing a pathway to better career opportunities, community leaders in Gods’ Lake Narrows are looking for ways for post-secondary courses to be offered in their region.

ACC offers the Mature Student High School program in God’s Lake Narrows in addition to two other First Nation communities.