Conferences and events for educators and students
The Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre is proud to host a variety of educational events for educators throughout the year. We aim to inspire thought and growth through professional development opportunities rooted in First Nations languages and traditional approaches to education. First Nations understand that education and learning are lifelong journeys, inclusive of a person’s physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual self. The main annual events include:
Lighting the Fire Conference
This three day event, hosting in the spring, brings together over one thousand delegates to share best practices and methodologies, that reflect First Nations culture, traditions and values. Lighting the Fire is an alternative to mainstream education conferences, attracting indigenous educators, those working in First Nations schools and educators from various school divisions.
Lighting the Fire features dynamic and engaging workshops that provide educators and facilitators an opportunity to learn, and incorporate, ground-breaking, practical approaches in the classroom ensuring that our diverse cultures and achievements as First Nations are reflected in student learning.
Circle of Knowledge & Practices Conference
Every year in October, MFNERC hosts an annual First Nations Circle of Knowledge & Practices Conference. Hundreds of attendees participate in interactive workshops and other activities geared towards improving First Nations education.
Workshops for educators include land-based education, hands-on activities, and skills and approaches to incorporate traditional ways of learning and language effectively in today’s classrooms.
Manitoba First Nations Science Fair & Regional Fairs
This two-day event, hundreds of Grades 4 to 12 students will display their science projects at the Max Bell Centre at the University of Manitoba. The science fair, organized by the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre (MFNERC) is designed to provide extended opportunities for students of First Nations schools to become engaged, and to excel, in science.
The science fair serves to support the networking of First Nations schools in the area of science. It is designed to encourage the schools and students to first develop and participate in their own local science fairs, and then attend the provincial gathering in Winnipeg.
Early Learning Conference
This conference brings together Seeds of Empathy and Roots of Empathy teachers, program administrators, teacher educators and students to explore the latest research and learn from one another. The conference is free of cost for educators of facilities that MFNERC serves and general public is being invited to participate in the conference.
