October 17, 2022
Manitoba Government Invests More Than $400,000 to Expand Manitoba Rural Learning Consortium in Northern Manitoba
– – –Investment to Support Professional Learning Needs, Strengthen Curriculum Implementation: Ewasko
The Manitoba government is investing more than $400,000 to expand services offered by the Manitoba Rural Learning Consortium to northern Manitoba, Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko announced today.
“Our government has committed to developing an equitable education system where all Manitoba students succeed, no matter where they live, their backgrounds or circumstances,” said Ewasko. “This investment in the Manitoba Rural Learning Consortium will respond to the professional learning needs in northern school divisions and strengthen curriculum implementation for classroom teachers and instructional leadership for school leaders.”
The Manitoba Rural Learning Consortium offers professional learning that is data-informed and engages educators in cross-divisional learning networks, offering in-person, virtual large and small group sessions, and individual coaching sessions. Their work is informed by current educational research and will support the learning needs of northern school divisions. A hallmark of the organization’s networks is that learning is collaborative, classroom-embedded wherever possible, and happens over several years.
“Collaborating with Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning to ensure educators in Manitoba’s northern school divisions have access to quality professional learning is both a moral imperative and a practical extension of the work that has been done with rural school divisions since 2011,” said Jonathan Toews, executive director, Manitoba Rural Learning Consortium.
For the 2022-23 school year, the consortium will begin offering services to support learning needs identified by the divisions in numeracy and literacy. In addition, teachers and other division staff will be able to access an instructional leadership network for school leaders in the Kelsey school division and Mystery Lake and Flin Flon School Districts.
“The School District of Mystery Lake is pleased to be participating in the professional development programming that is being provided through the Manitoba Rural Learning Consortium,” said Lorie Henderson, co-superintendent of the School District of Mystery Lake. “As a district, we like the focus of the programs and the way the programming is being facilitated and supported over the school year. Also, we are very happy that the presenters know the Manitoba educational environment. We look forward to the professional development journey with MRLC and to the support provided through Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning.”
In partnership with the Frontier School Division, the consortium will also launch a Middle Years Literacy Action Research project to respond to identified needs in middle years (grades five to eight) schools. The project will look at ways to:
- help students become engaged and skilful writers;
- provide support for writing teachers to increase their effectiveness; and
- build literacy support skills of literacy leads, coaches and principals.
The learning consortium has been serving rural school divisions since 2011 and has developed a robust, responsive service delivery model to support classroom teachers and school leaders in professional learning. It has developed multi-divisional initiatives that respond to government priorities such as numeracy, literacy, instructional leadership and Indigenous education.
The minister noted the expansion of the learning consortium to the north is in response to recommendations from the Manitoba Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education. It also addresses a key action within Manitoba’s K to 12 Education Action Plan launched earlier this year to assess and plan for professional learning needs in the province by exploring a provincial consortia model.
“Manitoba remains committed to strengthening and improving public education in the province and will continue to make investments in education to achieve our shared goals,” said Ewasko. “By working together, we can ensure all Manitoba children have access to high-quality education across the province. We thank the consortium for its partnership.”
For more information on the Manitoba Rural Learning Consortium, visit: https://mrlc.ca/.
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