A supportive education model will be rolled out in the Northwest Territories in a few months to provide learning opportunities for students outside of the traditional school system.

The Home Base Stabilization Education Program or STEP for short, looks to support N.W.T. students in multiple areas including housing, mental health and addictions recovery. It will be delivered at Home Base Yellowknife with two teachers, one from Yellowknife Education District No. 1 and one from Yellowknife Catholic Schools.

The new initiative was announced at the N.W.T. Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

The program will be able to serve 12 students come September, aligning with the number of beds Home Base can provide.

Tammy Roberts is the Executive Director for Home Base Yellowknife. She said conversations with youth who already have connections with Home Base were part of the development of the program.

“They want education, they want to graduate high school just like everyone else. But life gets in the way and I think this partnership is going to be able to work on that,” Roberts said.

STEP is a joint initiative between the Home Base, Yellowknife Education District No. 1 (YK1), Yellowknife Catholic schools and the N.W.T. government

YK1 Superintendent Shirley Zoubules said similar programs exist across the country and she was able to visit one in B.C. to see how it was being delivered.

“We’ve come to this spot after a long time and many years trying to figure out how we could support kids best. And the models that are across Canada are tailor-made to their context so ours, of course, will be as well,” Zoubules said.

For the North, that’ll look like including cultural programming led by Elders and Knowledge Keepers to “support healing, identity development, and trust building,” a press release announcing the program says.

Also speaking at the announcement was Adam Murray, Superintendent for Yellowknife Catholic Schools. He said success will look like having students off the streets, and in a situation that can help meet their basic needs so they can get back on track and explore possibilities for their futures.

“If we have all 12 positions filled at Home Base then we know we’re successful, those kids will know we care about them,” Murray said.

Funding for the program is being provided under the N.W.T. government’s school funding framework. The allocation will see the two teachers able to provide one on one and small group learning.

The press release states that learning will be measured through demonstrated skills and credits while educators help develop personalized learning plans for students’ unique needs. This may include supporting credit recovery, preparing students for returning to high school or pre-employment and trades exposure. 

Roberts said the program is entirely voluntary for youth that want to participate, adding most of the 12 students they’ll serve in September will likely already have a connection to Home Base, alongside a few students from communities other than Yellowknife.