Creating a positive learning environment for Indigenous students at Quinte Mohawk School

In a recent article for Montreal Gazette, Quinte Mohawk School Principal Jennifer Maracle-Westgate discusses how the school supports Indigenous students with initiatives that connect students to their culture and provide them with a positive learning environment. Culture is a primary focus of the school and students learn the Mohawk language and learn how to share stories in it. The school includes a full lunch program that is open to everyone, boasts murals with QR Codes to history lessons, and has a calming room. Maracle-Westgate said that students spend their days in and out of the classroom participating in a variety of activities and hands-on projects. “The kids have planted medicines,” said Maracle-Westgate. “We just did a tree project where they planted trees and they go out there and they can do socials or they’re doing science learning out there or talking about the medicines that they’ve planted and then tending to them. Last year, there were vegetables planted.”