The First Nations Health Consortium was presented with a 2022 Friends of Education Award on January 23 by the Northern Lights Public Schools Board of Trustees.
The First Nations Health Consortium is a collaboration between four First Nations health organizations from Treaty areas 6, 7, and 8 in Alberta.
The Consortium staff works with the Student Services Coordinators to help identify student needs and submit applications to Jordan’s Principle to get funding to provide much-needed support and services for First Nations students attending NLPS schools.
FNHC staff has helped secure funding for over 120 students and purchased AAC devices to help students with a variety of areas.
Board Chair Karen Packard says the collaboration is helping address many of the barriers and gaps that affect student achievement and success for First Nations students
“Our staff are overjoyed to see the enormous impact these supports and services are already having on student learning in our classrooms and in the lives of students and their families.”
The consortium staff also helps to connect families to outside agencies, such as doctor’s offices and assessment clinics, assists with navigating children’s services supports and help them apply for funds to cover things like child care, sports and recreation opportunities, and technology they can use at home.
“We are grateful for this partnership and the tremendous work FNHC staff are doing to support our schools and students,” said Packard. “We are excited about the opportunities this will provide for our students and the many things they will be able to accomplish as a result.”
The First Nations Health Consortium is one of four recipients of a 2022 Friends of Education Award.