UGDSB educator wins award for Indigenous Math program
March 10, 2020
GUELPH, Ontario – Upper Grand District School Board’s Lead for First Nation, Métis and Inuit Education, Colinda Clyne, has recently been recognized by Lakehead University for her work with the First Nations and Métis Math Voices Project.
Clyne’s work in the UGDSB that contributed to this award, was inspired by Lakehead University professor, Dr. Ruth Beatty and her work from First Nations Math Voices.
In 2018, Upper Grand staff worked alongside Dr. Beatty to launch collaborative student projects that bring together Indigenous knowledge and math.
Projects have included Island Lake PS students exploring math, while learning traditional Indigenous beading techniques, Willow Road PS students learning to find the math in Indigenous techniques of the peyote stitch and much more.
The award Clyne received from Lakehead University was through their Research and Innovation Awards of Excellence celebration. Dr. Beatty and Clyne received the Community Engaged Research Award at Lakehead University’s celebration earlier this month.
When speaking to Clyne about this award she said, “This award recognizes the important work happening in schools across our system with our community partners. The connections between the math curricula and Indigenous knowledge are deep, and varied across grade and Indigenous technology. Most of all, the relationships are central to the work. Our amazing community partners Jennifer LaPage-Parkinson, Nathalie Bertin, Naomi Smith and Leslie Muma, and educator and former math coach Bonnie Sears, along with the teachers who opened their classroom doors and friends who were able to pinch hit to support are all recognized with this award.”
Congratulations Colinda!
Categories: News Tags: Indigenous Education