Being the youngest in a family of 13, Elmer Everett, MFNERC’s School Planning Program Manager, had a lot of people to look up to and learn from.
Born in Berens River First Nation, on the East side of Lake Winnipeg, Elmer left the reserve at 14 to attend school, and completed Grade 12 at Gordon Bell High School in Winnipeg. Wishing to follow in his brothers’ off-reserve footsteps, yet unsure of what to do next, Elmer returned home. He chanced upon a substitute teacher position at the local school and, unbeknownst to him, it was the beginning of a very successful career in education, with 18 years of it being on the reserve. Through participation in a program called Program for the Education of Native Teachers (PENT) Elmer obtained his teaching certification and progressed ably through teacher and school administrator positions. Then, in 1999 when MFNERC was in its infancy, he came on board as an Education Specialist and has been here ever since.
Today, Elmer serves as the School Planning Program Manager. Simply put, he makes sure the goals of the Centre, and the schools MFNERC serves, are being reached. He does this by overseeing five teams of Specialists who work directly with the Schools, Education Boards and communities. Each team is made up of an ELA, Science, Math, Special Education. Language & Culture, Assessment, and School Planning Specialist. The Specialists travel to different regions of the province, determining needs, developing plans and bringing the process of capacity building directly to the schools. As well, throughout the school year, and driven by the plans that the schools themselves have developed, MFNERC hosts workshops, conferences, training and forums for the educators and administrators. And Elmer manages it all with a deft hand and unwavering spirit.
