Building Student Success with Indigenous Parents

BSSIP Gatherings and Parental Involvement

The BSSIP initiative partnered with specific school divisions to host an annual gathering of project sites. Each gathering showcased effective practices being implemented and provided a foundation for ongoing work that focuses on enhancing the school system’s ability to engage Indigenous parents in strong partnerships with schools. The gatherings have supported dialogue between schools and parents focused on communication and joint actions to enhance the educational success of students.

The initiatives implemented have resulted in significant differences for Indigenous parent involvement and non-Indigenous parent involvement in Manitoba's public education system as the examples below outline;

  • Prior to the BSSIP fund, there was a significant disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous parent engagement in Manitoba.
  • This project has been viewed as an instrument to provide a common direction for all parties in order to enhance Indigenous parent participation in Manitoba schools.
  • The School plan in many sites outlines and speaks to the current state of the school/division initiatives of Indigenous parent engagement in each of their sites and includes the approach and directions to continue enhancing such communication in the education system.
  • One guiding principle and incumbent upon all partners-school, school districts and the Indigenous communities is to support the range of options that are available to enhance Indigenous parent-school partnerships in Manitoba's public education system.
  • During the initial three years of 38 site operations, the activities have specifically targeted school-Indigenous parent communication.
  • The range of possible partnerships being established could serve as a foundation for future community planning between the school and parents.
  • Continue communications with Indigenous education coordinators from all regions of Manitoba, visits to districts and schools, interviews with administrators, teachers, Indigenous staff and Indigenous parents and focus groups with Indigenous students and parents. 

Collaboration with Community Schools Partnership Initiative in eight of the exiting sites. Based on proposals and consultants recommendations each existing site was granted additional monies up to a maximum of $20,000 per site in 2008-14.