Eel Ground First Nation school wins award for outstanding service in reducing substance abuse
More and more young people are sharing their stories online, using the different social networks and by producing short videos that are posted online for others to watch and learn about their struggles and experiences. Now the students and staff at the Eel Ground First Nation school have won an important national award recognizing their work (see the story below).
The school is now fundraising to continue their Drama Club by selling DVD copies of their production, The Simon Bishop Story.
For more information about their production, contact the principal at
Peter MacDonald, Principal
Eel Ground First Nation School
55 CHURCH RD .
EEL GROUND, NB. E1V 4E6
Tel: (506) 627-4615
Fax: (506) 627-4621
http://eelgroundschool.ca/
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Eel Ground Drama Club wins prestigious award
By Judy Bowman, February 15th, 2008
For the second year in a row, the Miramichi has won the Kaiser Foundation's national Award of Excellence for outstanding service in reducing substance abuse.
Last year, Sara MacDonald received the award in the Excellence in Youth Leadership category for her work as a member of the Miramichi Advisory Council on Youth.
This year, the Eel Ground School Drama Club and mentors Peter MacDonald and John Bosma have received the 2008 Kaiser Award of Excellence in Aboriginal Programming.
To earn this award, the club demonstrated consistent efforts to combat substance abuse within the the Eel Ground community.
This efforts have been an ongoing process for the Eel Ground School, beginning with a website which includes a history of Mi'kmaq people, a positive view of the community and conversations with Elders in terms of the wisdom of ancestors and renewed pride in the Mi'kmaq culture.
The drama club has taken a leadership role in dealing with the issues of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) and Teenage Stress/Suicide, using information the students researched and collected themselves.
Eel Ground teacher John Bosma wrote a play on each subject: The People vs Mary Moses and After the Thunder: the Simon Bishop Story. Both works were later made into movies and music videos.
Eel Ground School later hosted video conferences with health agencies and stakeholders from many First Nation and other communities across Canada, during which the movie versions of the plays were shown.
Students spoke to thousands first-hand about the rewards individuals, the school and the community have received from undertaking the projects: renewed pride in Mi'kmaq culture, increased self esteem of the students, community and ongoing encouragement and support for future endeavors.
Over 5,000 people internationally saw the premiere of After the Thunder: The Simon Bishop Story.
The national and international response to the video conference resulted in the students' nomination for the 2008 Kaiser Foundation Award of Excellence.
Following the conference:
- Students in the northern community of Kugluktuk, which had been experiencing a suicide every six weeks, began a drama program of their own.
- E-mails asking for advice on incorporating similar projects in other school systems flowed in.
- Testimonials poured in from schools and families who had been dealing directly with the after-effects of FASD and teenage suicide to say how much the Eel Ground students' work had comforted them.
- Experts in the field of substance abuse and teenage stress and suicide commended the projects.
Award standards high
"This award is not lightly given," said Edgar Kaiser in announcing the award. "There are many people working in the field that deserve this recognition, and so the nomination process is lengthy. It involves a national secretariat with members from Atlantic Canada to Vancouver Island. Board members from the Canadian Centre of Substance Abuse also participate, as do board members from the Addictions Research Centre of B.C.
Nominations come from many sources.
When two people remain in each of the six award categories, it goes to the national advisory board. We try to involve government and corporations like Alcon, as well and have them look at the resumes and they ask very good questions. The Eel Ground students were up against two very strong contenders for this award. We had a lively debate and I am delighted to say that the Eel Ground Students succeeded."
Kaiser Foundation dedicated to fighting substance abuse
Following is courtesy of the Kaiser Foundation website (http://www.kaiserfoundation.ca/):
For more than two decades the Kaiser Foundation, a registered charitable organization, has been dedicated to helping individuals and communities live healthier and more productive lives by reducing the harm associated with substance use.
The current priorities of the Kaiser Foundation are:
National Awards for Excellence: The creation and administration of the annual National Awards for Excellence Program. The Program's goal is to recognize six outstanding individuals, programs or organizations from across Canada for their tireless efforts in promoting both physical and mental health by reducing the harm resulting from substance use.
Addictions Research: Founding partner and continuing supporter of the Centre for Addictions Research of BC (CAR-BC). The Kaiser Foundation's body of substance use research is now housed at this centre. Mr. Kaiser serves on their Advisory Board.
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA): The Kaiser Foundation is an active partner of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), Canada's National Drug Agency. Mr. Kaiser serves on the CCSA Board of Directors.