Girls encouraged to expand their horizons

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Plumber or computer programmer, geologist or welder-all of these are viable careers for Aboriginal girls, said the head of a group dedicated to helping young First Nations and Metis women learn about non-traditional job opportunities.

Shirley Boucher is an educational counsellor who works with Aboriginal post-secondary students at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST). A Metis woman of the baby boomer generation, she vividly remembers the frustrating experience of being told that the career she was dreaming of was not appropriate for a girl-that it was "non-female-friendly."

"At the time, there were no supports to allow me to explore other areas," said Boucher. "So (I) chose more socially acceptable areas for the time ... If I was able to do it over again, I would go into a different field."

It's an experience that she'd rather not see other young Aboriginal women repeat. So, in the mid-1990s, Boucher and several other women with an interest in career education got together to work on a solution. After an infusion of federal funding, the Indian and Metis Girls Exploring Trades and Technology (IMGETT) project was born.

IMGETT's aim, according to its promotional literature, is "to facilitate equality of access for Aboriginal women in trades and technology occupations by providing educational and practical projects for First Nations and Metis girls through their formative years."

To Boucher, who is now chair of the IMGETT committee, those "formative years" are the tender ages of 13 and 14 when girls are slipping from the abundant confidence of childhood into the insecurities and frequent self-doubt of young adulthood. And also when choices must be made about math, science and other courses that, if taken, can open doors for future educational and career opportunities.

"We needed to start very young," said Boucher, "in hopes that while they're doing the rest of their high school education, they choose classes that will allow them to have more options when they're done."

In order to open girls' minds to these options, the IMGETT committee has developed two major initiatives. The first is a week-long day camp to introduce girls to trades and technology careers; the second an educators kit made up of a poster, a set of lesson plans and a video.

Keeping in mind the pressures hormones can cause, the day camp is just for girls. It includes talks about Aboriginal women's issues, career options and the importance of science, math and industrial arts in school. The girls spend time with Aboriginal women who have pursued careers in various trades and technology fields,and go on field trips such as to an industrial shop or SIAST. A major project is to build a "people mover" such as a scooter or go-kart, and the girls must complete everything from the design (using a computer-assisted drafting program) to the sanding and painting of their vehicles.

"We like to give the girls the opportunity to show their stuff," said Boucher. "When it comes to mechanical things, the girls (in mixed-gender groups) will defer to the boys ... they do the projects (at camp) from beginning to end, and there's a great feeling of accomplishment."

Although the IMGETT group hasn't organized a camp-which is dependent on an invitation and funding-for a few years, others have used their model. The committee is hoping to make that easier with the pending release of a manual written specifically for hosting an IMGETT camp. Boucher is also working on getting sponsorship for an upcoming camp.

Meanwhile, the educational materials are having an impact. For classroom use, IMGETT has produced a video called Choosing the Beat of Her Own Drum", which features Aboriginal women pursuing careers in trades, technology, operations and science. According to the promotional literature, "It illustrates the satisfaction and enthusiasm of women who dare to be different. They speak of their work and display pride in their independence aswell as a commitment to family and community. Two Elders offer advice to young girls and admiration for the women."

The educational kit also includes a series of lesson plans on topics such as how society defines gender and racial roles, historical use of tools (including First Nations and Metis contributions), lifestyle changes on the prairies and the part equipment plays in that, architecture of the tipi and First Nations architecture on a broader scale.

While the classroom time isn't as hands-on as the camps, Boucher hopes that the lessons are getting through-not only to their target audience of teenage girls but also to the administrators, guidance counsellors, teachers and even the male students.

Just like the girls, young boys need to learn that "these girls who are sitting next to them, their sisters, should have the same opportunities as they do," said Boucher. "It isn't just limited to them."