A cultural exchange program at East Three Secondary School earned French immersion teacher Denise Lipscombe the Governor GeneralSA国际影视传媒檚 2017 Experiences Canada Award.
photo courtesy of Denise Lipscombe
The award recognized a program that saw students from Quebec visit Inuvik and vice versa.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a great honour for us,SA国际影视传媒� said Lipscombe. SA国际影视传媒淚 know itSA国际影视传媒檚 in my name, but itSA国际影视传媒檚 really everybody who comes together to put this exchange on. It was the students, it was their families, it was the community members, it was everybody else in the school who makes this happen.SA国际影视传媒�
SheSA国际影视传媒檚 ran the program twice, in 2007 and 2015. In the last one, a cohort of students came from Quebec City and stayed in Inuvik to experience cultural activities such as dogsledding, Northern cooking, drum dancing and visiting the pingos. Inuvik students in LipscombeSA国际影视传媒檚 French immersion class also had the opportunity to live in Quebec with host families and immerse themselves in that language and culture.
SA国际影视传媒淲here me and (another student) stayed, their family mostly only talked French, so to communicate you had to talk French,SA国际影视传媒� said student Fletcher Dares. SA国际影视传媒淚t was fun to see whatSA国际影视传媒檚 different down there.SA国际影视传媒�
A lot of fundraising and preparation work takes place before the students travel.
SA国际影视传媒淭here are quite a few opportunities for students from the North to travel down south, but there are very few opportunities for southern youth to come and visit the North,SA国际影视传媒� said Lipscombe. SA国际影视传媒淭he aspect that we get to host as well and show off our region and culture is so important.SA国际影视传媒�
Hannah Gordon-Rogers, another student who took part in the exchange, said she most enjoyed dogsledding with her partner from Quebec.
Deborah Morrison, president of Experiences Canada, said LipscombeSA国际影视传媒檚 program went beyond simply visiting interesting sites but demonstrated true experiential learning by involving elders and community members.
SA国际影视传媒淭here is no better way to foster a greater understanding of the diversity of cultures and communities across Canada than providing an opportunity for young Canadians to experience it first-hand,SA国际影视传媒� she stated a news release.
The 2017 Governor GeneralSA国际影视传媒檚 History Awards will be presented by Governor General Julie Payette at a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on November 22.
Lipscombe will also be recognized at the annual general meeting of Experiences Canada Nov. 24.
Both Lipscombe and East Three Secondary School will receive $1000 from Experiences Canada as part of the award.
