Mr. Speaker, the first five years of a child’s life are critical to creating a foundation for their healthy physical, emotional, social and cognitive development. Supporting child-care programs is one of the priorities of this Legislative Assembly. The Departments of Education, Culture and Employment and Health and Social Services worked in partnership and developed the Early Childhood Development Action Plan. It will provide accessible quality early childhood and parental programs and services for all Northwest Territories families.

YELLOWKNIFE (February 3, 2014) – Residents of Tulita, Norman Wells and Yellowknife will soon get a glimpse of life in the North in 1957 as Dr. Tom Andrews, Territorial Archaeologist at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, screens Tie-cho-ka: Quelques images du Grand Nord in the three communities.

YELLOWKNIFE (December 13, 2013) – The Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) has been in exploratory discussions with education partners on school utilizations in Hay River and Yellowknife since September.

YELLOWKNIFE (November 27, 2013) – The GNWT’s collaborative approach to addressing the large number of preventable drownings has been recognized with the Award for Collaborative Excellence from the Canadian Collaborative Centres for Injury Prevention (CCCIP). The award is given every two years to recognize national leadership in injury prevention collaboration.

YELLOWKNIFE (November 26, 2013) – The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (PWNHC) is pleased to announce the Museum Alive! Open House – a fantastic opportunity to see the museum come to life and experience contemporary NWT culture in an interactive way.

YELLOWKNIFE (November 5, 2013) – As part of their ongoing collaboration, representatives of the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Francophone Affairs Secretariat and the Fédération franco-ténoise (FFT) will be travelling to four NWT communities to inform residents about the GNWT’s Strategic Plan on French language communications and services and to meet with them on community priorities.

YELLOWKNIFE (October 31, 2013) – A new framework released today by Minister of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) Jackson Lafferty will shift the foundation for Kindergarten to Grade 12 education in the Northwest Territories.

(October 31, 2013) - Mr. Speaker, educational change, without question, is one of the most critical initiatives we must enact in the NWT.  The Education Renewal and Innovation initiative has been underway for approximately a year, and we are seeing some exciting directions emerge for true foundational change.

(October 28, 2013) - Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories strengthens awareness of our Northern identity and uniqueness by promoting our many cultural backgrounds and revitalizing our languages. I am very pleased to advise this House that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment held the third annual Minister’s Culture and Heritage Circle to celebrate the tremendous contributions that people across this territory have made.

YELLOWKNIFE (October 28, 2013) – Five Northwest Territories (NWT) residents and organizations were honoured this morning at the third annual Minister’s Culture and Heritage Circle Award Ceremony. The event recognizing the important and lasting contributions of those dedicated to the arts and cultures of the North took place in the Great Hall of the Legislative Assembly.