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School District 91 appoints Leona Prince to new Indigenous education position

Prince is a member of the Lake Babine Nation
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School District 91 logo. (Black Press files)

School District 91 Superintendent of Schools Manu Madhok announced the appointment of Leona Prince to a newly created Director of Instruction-Indigenous Education position on Tuesday (April 12).

Prince has been an educator for sixteen years in northern B.C. having served as District Principal of Aboriginal Education for the past four years. She is a graduate of Lakes District Secondary and a member of the Lake Babine Nation.

Prince belongs to the Likh Tsa Mis Yu (Beaver) Clan and has three children. Her role will include promoting equity, Indigenous culture and language across all schools. In this new position, Prince will join the senior leadership team to help improve the education and lives of learners through Truth and Reconciliation and the Calls to Action.

Board of Education Chair Dave Christie congratulated Prince on the new role calling her a “driving force to support and enhance indigenous students,” who make up 40 per cent of the district’s student population.

“Leona has developed and introduced many new programs for staff and students which the board is proud of.”

Since joining the school district Prince’s leadership has led to a District Equity Scan, the creation of a new Diversity 8 course and Indigenous website, increased Indigenous culture and language programming across schools. Outside of her formal role with Nechako Lakes School District, Prince is a celebrated author of published children’s books and a sought-after presenter at provincial events.

Prince has been a professional collaborator with provincial organizations and school districts including Focused Education, OpenSchoolsBC and the FNESC Curriculum Team. She is continuing to become fluent in her own language through participation as a student in the NVIT Nedut’en Fluency Degree Program.

In 2017, Prince was awarded the Alumni of the Year award for Professional Excellence by the Alumni Association of UNBC. In 2018 she received an Indspire Award for Educational Leadership.

RELATED: SD91 develops course to explore student identity and diversity



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