Tag Archives: Homeschooling

Community

Folk U: Life on Read and Sonora Islands (Part 1)

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(Interview by Manda Aufochs Gillespie; written version by Roy L Hales)

On Friday, June 5, host Manda Aufochs Gillespie welcomed three women from neighbouring islands to Folk U Radio. Renate Harvey and Renée Desautels from Sonora Island and Sheila Hollanders from Read Island talked about their lives, families, communities and hopes for years to come. This is the first part of a highly edited and abridged version of that interview.

Manda (Host of Folk U):  Today, we’re getting closer in community with our neighbour islands—many who are even more remote than Cortes. What do we have to learn and share with our neighbours from across the waters?

Continue reading Folk U: Life on Read and Sonora Islands (Part 1) →
Children, Education

Cortes Island Children and Youth Programs

The Cortes Community Health Association (CCHA) has been offering Youth Programs for more than 15 years. Serene Williams’ association goes back to 2009 when, shortly after moving to Cortes Island, she became the Teen Szene Co-ordinator. She married after that and now has two children of her own. They were initially homeschooled but when both of her children registered for the Cortes Island School, in September 2022, Williams became the Youth Programs Manager for the Cortes Community Health Association. 

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Indigenous Nations, Rivers & Oceans

5,000 Chum fry released back into Basil Creek

More than 20 people gathered at the Klahoose hatchery in Squirrel Cove to watch around  5,000 Chum fry be released back into Basil Creek on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Six of them were women and girls from the Klahoose village, who came to sing a prayer song. Seven were homeschool students, enrolled in the Partners in Education (PIE) program, who came with their mothers. There were also a handful of Cortes Island streamkeepers, three Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) personal and two reporters. 

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Education

High School Programming on Cortes?!*$ It’s true….

The Cortes Island Academy (CIA) is a pilot program of School District 72 in collaboration with Cortes Island Community Foundation, Folk University, and the people of Cortes Island. The CIA pilot program will begin with the school year in September of 2022 and end with the term in late January of 2023. The CIA will offer two quarters (10 weeks each) of immersive, experiential, project-based learning on Cortes Island in its first year, with the intention of continuing with unique annual offerings. These offerings will be overseen by SD72 teachers and staff with local facilitators, mentors, and knowledge holders to ensure that the program truly represents the unique talents, opportunities, and natural offerings of Cortes Island. Students from throughout the school district, including international education students registered with SD72, will be available to register for either one of the 10-weeks or the entire 20-weeks of offerings. (Priority given to Cortes Island students.)

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Education

Reel Youth’s ‘Partners in Education’ course launches January 10th

Fifteen youth, aged 8 to 14, signed up for the Reel Youth Partners in Education (PIE) film program, which starts on Monday January 10th. 

This online program is run by the Powell River School Board but, as might be expected, considering Reel Youth’s strong connection to Cortes Island, seven of the fifteen students are Cortesians.  (Five students come from the Comox Valley and three from Powell River.)

Continue reading Reel Youth’s ‘Partners in Education’ course launches January 10th →