Former prime minister pushes aboriginal education

WINNIPEG – Former prime minister Paul Martin is in Winnipeg to visit schools taking part in a program for aboriginal youth that he established.

Martin visited Global Winnipeg to talk about the initiative on the Morning News and for a web-exclusive interview.

The Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative, a charitable organization that supports education for aboriginal students, has established an aboriginal youth entrepreneurship program at 17 schools, including five in Manitoba.

Gordon Bell High School, Children of the Earth High School, Major Pratt School in Russell, Grand Rapids School and Oscar Lathlin Collegiate on Opaskwayak Cree Nation are all participants in the program, which teaches aboriginal youth about business and entrepreneurship to encourage them to complete high school and go on to post-secondary studies.

He visited the Russell school on Thursday and will visit Gordon Bell and Children of the Earth in Winnipeg on Friday.

The program uses hands-on activities to teach business and leadership skills, with a focus on financial literacy.

Students are mentored and qualified students receive funding to start a micro-business.

The textbooks and other learning materials were written by indigenous high school teachers, ensuring the students see themselves reflected in the documents, the program’s website says.