Portage Collegiate motivate students with cash

For brothers Shavez (17) and Shaden (15) Meeches, along with students at Portage Collegiate Institute, $50 a month is a nice bonus for attending regularly and getting their homework done. But the extra cash in their pockets doesn't mean a big change to what the boys have already been doing.
"I need to get an education. That's important," said Shaden, a 15-year old grade 11 student.
Now, the Meeches brothers and other grades nine to 12 Long Plain First Nations students are making money for putting in the time and effort of getting a high school education.
The money is "pretty good," said Shavez, a 17-year old grade 12 student.
"It's not the motivation me or my brother need. But that doesn't mean it hasn't motivated other students," said Shavez, adding that he thinks there are a few students who are coming to school for the money.
Long Plains Elementary School principal Liz Merrick is thinking the same thing. "I have to send two buses now (to nearby Portage la Prairie, in Manitoba, for high school). I've never had to do that before. I've doubled my numbers and I think it's because of my incentive program."
The band is using money earned through the Arrowhead Development Corp., which has chief and council as its directors, to pay students $50 each month as a high school attendance incentive.
This is the newest phase in ongoing perks being offered to Long Plains students to keep them in school. Three years ago, graduating grade 12 students started received $1,000. The band already pays for busing, student fees, school supplies and provides lunch for all their students.
But the difference seems to be the money. The $50 incentive was implemented in May 2008 and back paid to March of the same year. For the first time that Merrick can recall, Long Plains graduated seven students from PCI (a total of 14 students graduated in 2008 from a variety of schools). Up until that point PCI saw only one or two Long Plains students graduate.
The feedback from the community on the $50 incentive has been positive. And, notes Merrick, phone calls have come from band members living off reserve, who send their children to schools other than PCI. The band has agreed that for 2008-2009, the $50 incentive program will be available to these students as well. Merrick has also received phone calls from other First Nations education boards.
Merrick plans to make the incentive program about more than simple attendance. She will look at midterm and final marks and tie that into the $50. Says Merrick, "All they have to do is get up in the morning, do the work and I'll give them money."
She admits that $50 a month is not big pay out, but when families are on social assistance, it can make a difference.
Shaden has been saving his money and will be using it to "buy things for my guitar."
Merrick has yet to receive negative feedback on Long Plains' innovative incentive.
"Whatever works to keep them in (school). They're going to get it if they want it. For me, it's just money. Whatever I can do to keep my kids in school," she said.
Greg Louie is principal at Maaqtusiis school, a kindergarten to grade 12 school, in Ahousat, north of Tofino, on Vancouver Island. He sees Long Plains' approach to keeping their students in school as "whatever's going to work for each community."
In 2007-2008, Maaqtusiis school had 10 graduates, with approximately 60 students in grades nine to 12 (and 200 students in the school). Of those graduates, notes Louie, all of them have left the community and are pursuing educational options. He expects to have a dozen graduates this year. There are a few drop outs, he admits, but nothing to create concern.
"There are a number of things we do which make our school a success," says Louie. A home school coordinator meets with parents; a teacher's assistant stops at specific homes in the morning to ensure children are up and ready for school; a field trip is planned for the grades 11 and 12 to show them some of their post-secondary options; and basketball is a passion. Students can't be part of the basketball team if they aren't getting their homework done or if their attendance is lagging.
And, points out Louie, "We're on an island. Where are those kids going to go?" If community members see kids strolling the street during school hours, Louie is sure to get a phone call.
For Maaqtusiis school, said Louie, it's about committed staff, committed students and committed parents.
"Some people have to start somewhere. If you're having a really difficult time getting your kids to attend school, to finish a course, to get through grade nine then sometimes you have to come up with an idea like (a financial incentive). Will this work? Maybe two years from now they might begin to slip it away because the community will just appreciate that their kids are going to school and they won't need this monetary incentive," said Louie.
Support for the Long Plains incentive program is coming from such daily mainstream newspapers as the Regina Leader-Post and the Edmonton Journal (which reprinted the Leader-Post editorial). Writes the Leader-Post, "The best reason for experimenting with such a program is existing systems for getting First Nations students to graduate clearly aren't working."