Languages: English & Inuktitut

Tommy shares his story, from a 13 year old who had to quickly become independent, to graduating from University, to building a Northern life that is centered around community. As a young male himself, Tommy founded the Unaaq Men’s Association - using land based education to support, heal and empower Inuit men. Tommy shares what a community can do to support school perseverance.  

#inuktitut #college #perseverance #esuma #nunavik #unaaq #inukjuak

Languages: English & Inuktitut

Nearly every little kid in Nunavik dreams of being a pilot! Planes, in our isolated villages, are part of our everyday reality from delivering our mail to food staples, yet still the magic of flight captures our imagination. Lets learn how Nicolas followed his childhood dream and what the Sparrow program, designed to train more Inuit as pilots, looks like now.

Maata is a communication expert - speaking with ease in multiple languages, including Inuktitut and French. She uses these language abilities to play a crucial role in her position as Director of Community and Social Services, but she didn’t always have such a mastery of French in particular. Learn what she did to master this “ouiouittitut” language, and tune into her advice for youth on their own school journeys. 

#airinuit #college #perseverance #esuma #nunavik #education #student

Language: English

Kayla Meeko & Vicky Tukkiapik: Is college education colonial? Let’s hear what a college student and a primary school teacher have to say.

In this episode, you will hear the personal lived experiences of two incredible women from Quaqtaq, Nunavik. Topics discussed include: role of parents in school perseverance, differences between Western education and traditional Inuit epistemologies, building relationships, and using routines as a tool.

#KI #college #perseverance #esuma #nunavik #inuit #education

Languages: English & Inuktitut

Do you know what it’s like to be a full-time student while also being a full-time mother to 3 kids, and running a side hustle ? Grab your coffee and listen to Aida’s life experiences as she shares with us the transition from living in the Arctic village of Salluit, to moving thousands of kilometres away to Montreal where she is pursuing her education dreams. Along the way, she is also supporting kids as they integrate into a new culture and language, while keeping Inuktitut alive at home, and dealing with homesickness. 

#KI #college #perseverance #esuma #nunavik #mom #student

Languages: English & Inuktitut

Single Inuk moms balance much more than their own studies when they come south for college. They are balancing the needs of their whole family, as everyone goes through culture shock. In Sarah’s college story it was actually HOCKEY that was the saving grace, helping  her and her kids find the integration and balance that they needed.  Sarah, an aspiring fashion designer,  shares all sorts of tips from building routines, to when she gets her homework done,  to how she tackled that first college essay! Sarah lets us know about the “wrap around supports” that KI offers, which has even surprised her. Tune-in to hear more about her story and experiences. 

Welcome to the ESUMA School Perseverance Podcast. This year, ESUMA is bringing to you a series of podcast episodes around the topic of school perseverance. On these episodes, you will hear stories, testimonials and experiences coming from school staff, teachers, leaders, students, and community members from Nunavik. This season, you will hear the voices of Vicky Tukkiapik, Kayla Meeko, Aida Kooneeliusie, Tommy Palliser, Nicolas Alasuak, Sarah Samisack and many more. Our guests discuss healthy lifestyles, their education journey, family life, and share their insights, tips, and tricks on how the community as a whole can contribute towards school perseverance. Make sure to follow ESUMA on Facebook, where the podcast episodes will be shared. Are you excited to hear this podcast series ?

Developed exclusively for you to enjoy, you will now hear a song titled Sapilirnak, written by Charlie Taqqik, Centre Director in Salluit, produced and sung by Kathy Aputiarjuk from Kangiqsualujjuaq, recorded with the help of McCombie Annanack.

The artistic cover art is brought to you by Teresa Annanack from Kangiqsualujjuaq, full-time student in Multimedia at Collège Montmorency.