Nunavut Literacy Council wins $20K award for Miqqut Project
The Miqqut Project teaches language and essential skills through sewing, community fashion show
A Nunavut Literacy Council program combining literacy and traditional sewing won a national award Thursday for innovation.
The Miqqut Project, based in Rankin Inlet, won the Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award worth $20,000.
"We're very honoured and humbled at the same time," said Adriana Kusugak, the program literacy coordinator for the Nunavut Literacy Council. "This is huge for our little organization in Nunavut to be recognized for a national award."
The four-month program joins elders with the community, where they learn and share Inuktitut and English and exchange traditional and modern sewing skills.
The program has been offered in Rankin Inlet and Baker Lake and culminates in a fashion show allowing participants to demonstrate the skills they've learned — making posters, writing invitations, and showcasing the clothes they've created.
"It's a very uplifting event," Kusugak said. "Because they're able to see the pride within the audience. They can see it in their eyes. You can almost feel it in the room."
"We consider this non-formal program a very big stepping stone for individuals to build their confidence and their abilities in their skills, to then go on to future goals that they have for themselves," she said.
Big prize
The Nunavut Literacy Council beat out 44 other organizations to take the top prize.
Kusugak said the money from the award will go towards future literacy programming in the territory.
As part of the award, the literacy council will also share their work in a national webinar for Canadian literacy practitioners, giving The Miqqut Project national exposure as the literacy council works to expand it across the territory.
"It makes us very proud to be able to be an innovator of embedded literacy programs and essential skills, not only for Nunavummiut, but for the country of Canada," Kusugak said.