Belleville, Ontario, May 6, 2015 – Grade school students from Arnaqjuaq School in Hall Beach, an Inuit settlement in the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut, visited the Aboriginal Resource Centre at Loyalist College on May 6 as part of an exchange program, through the YMCA.
Eleven Nunavut students and 10 Moira Secondary School students had the opportunity to explore Loyalist’s Biosciences labs, Digital Media Centre and Skills Centre. Students learned about the trades as they toured the automotive and welding shops, the College campus, Residences, Sports Dome, and Alumni Gardens and Memorial Grove.
Linda Tymura, a Grade 8/9 teacher from Arnaqjuaq School who is accompanying the students on this venture, says she has received positive feedback from students. They like the area, the environment and want to study at Loyalist. The students especially enjoyed the Planting Festival at Moira Secondary School on May 5, when they spent time with students from Yellowknife, Inuvik and Kingston.
The YMCA exchange program encourages students from different regions of Canada to explore other regions, learn Canada’s languages, and meet different communities. The teachers from Arnaqjuaq School and Moira Secondary School were pleased that their students gained friendships, diversity and cultural understanding from the visit.