Key takeaway:
- This type of curriculum is viable, according to Wilson, Métis, in part because Manitoba Education changed its clothes.
Do you have deer hide kicking that you don’t know what to do with? It’s possible that a high school in a small southern Manitoba town would like to take it off your hands.
MacGregor Collegiate Institute is seeking donations for its leatherworks course, which allows students to customise goods such as moccasins, gloves, and mukluks.
Penny Wilson, a clothing and textiles teacher, said the self-directed programme had been a tremendous hit with students and families in the past.
“‘Can I come back to high school simply to take one course?’ say several of the parents. When else will they say something like that?” Wilson told Stephanie Cram of the CBC’s Weekend Morning Show.
“There have been a few Christmas presents… created as a result of this programme.”
Also read: Manitoba’s annual mobile blood sugar testing clinic will run till November end
But the course isn’t just for fun; it also teaches students essential life lessons like time management, according to Wilson.
“When the kids first start the programme, I tell them right away, “You have to put your phone away.” You won’t finish if your phone is out and you take your hands off your assignment every minute and a half to check something,’ “she stated
“In this programme, one pair of boots will take a month and a half to make, so it truly shows kids how much work, focus, time management, and planning it takes to start and finish a project successfully.”
According to Wilson, Métis, this type of programme is possible partly because Manitoba Education revised its clothes and textiles curriculum to include more diverse perspectives.
“We haven’t had an opportunity for the kids to participate in this type of activity for course credit in the past,” she explained.
According to Wilson, the curriculum complements the school’s textiles program’s developing technical skills and learning about citizenship, sustainability, and job development.
It also allows students to be a little more creative with how they want their end product to look by demonstrating how to add beading designs and other embellishments.
Wilson explained, “It’s an opportunity for students to be artistic and express their own identity in any way they want, and then they get a course credit for it.”
“Because it’s a lot of work, they don’t all finish a project. As a result, when the youngsters complete a project, their faces light up. They’re all hyped up. And it’s lovely, and everyone who sees it thinks it’s lovely.”
While the programme hadn’t received as many hides as last year — when more than 100 were donated — Wilson is optimistic because rifle hunting season has just begun.
“People will show up if you ask them to donate. In our neighbourhood, we have a supportive community, “she stated.
According to Wilson, hunters who want to contribute their bagged hides can bring them directly to the school, but they must include their name and provincial hunting tags or their Métis number to comply with the school’s permit.
MacGregor Collegiate Institute is situated at 150 Fox St. N. in MacGregor, Manitoba, approximately 120 kilometres west of Winnipeg.
Source: CBC News
Get Canada and Manitoba’s top News, Market news, and other worldwide news only on Manitoba Daily.
