New school provides education closer to home for high school students in Poplar River First Nation

Poplar River First Nation is celebrating the grand opening of a new K-12 school that will allow students to stay closer to home during the upper years of their education. The new school includes a traditional teaching room, shared cultural spaces, a science lab, an industrial arts shop, a gymnasium, and more. High school students from the First Nation previously had to travel outside the community to complete their education. “Poplar River First Nation has strived for many years to offer a secondary facility for its children,” said Poplar River Chief Vera Mitchell. “It is a very welcomed initiative that has been planned for the last 10 years. Poplar River First Nation acknowledges and thanks every person that has been involved in making this a reality.” The new school is part of the Lake Winnipeg School Bundle Initiative that also includes the construction of a new K-9 school at Bloodvein First Nation and a K-12 school at Little Grand Rapids First Nation.