Nunavut Literacy Council wins $20K award for Miqqut Project

A Nunavut Literacy Council program combining literacy and traditional sewing won a national award Thursday for innovation.

The Miqqut Project, based in RankinInlet,wonthe Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award worth $20,000.

"We're very honoured and humbled at the same time," said Adriana Kusugak, the program literacy coordinator for the Nunavut Literacy Council. "This is huge for our little organization in Nunavut to be recognized for a national award."

The four-monthprogramjoins elders with the community, where they learnandshare Inuktitut and Englishand exchangetraditional and modern sewing skills.

The program has beenoffered in Rankin Inlet and Baker Lake andculminates in a fashion show allowingparticipants to demonstrate the skills they've learned making posters, writing invitations, and showcasing the clothesthey'vecreated.

"It's a very uplifting event," Kusugaksaid."Because they're able to see the pride within the audience. They can see it in their eyes. You can almost feel it in the room."

Kusugak said 85 per cent of participants enrolled go on tojoin the workforce or re-enrol in other training and learning programs.

"We consider this non-formal program a very big stepping stone for individuals to build their confidence and their abilities in their skills, to then go on to future goals that they have for themselves," she said.

Big prize

The NunavutLiteracy Council beat out 44other organizations to take the top prize.

Kusugak said themoney from the awardwill go towards future literacy programming in the territory.

As part of the award, the literacy council will also share their work in a national webinar for Canadian literacy practitioners, giving The Miqqut Projectnational exposure as the literacy council works to expand it across the territory.

"It makes us very proud to be able to be an innovator of embedded literacy programs and essential skills, not only forNunavummiut, but for the country of Canada," Kusugak said.