Shannen's Dream Timeline & Documents

Our Dreams Matter Too, walk for culturally based equity for First Nations children.

Eight recommendations were developed in conjunction with an action plan. The recommendations include, but are not limited to: develop a strategic and transparent framework to allocate funds to enhance student success; conduct research on funding allocation methodologies, equitable to provincial approaches and accounting for cost-realities on reserve; ensure that future policy clearly defines roles and responsibilities within the ESE program; work with First Nations to improve culture and language retention; work with First Nations to improve accessibility for students with special needs; and explore the possibility of the incorporation of early childhood education and adult programming into AANDC ESE programming. 

Budget 2012 is released, announcing $275 million over three years – an insufficient amount to address school needs or education funding shortfalls. Read Chapter 3.3 of the budget, “Investments to Improve First Nations Funding”.

Minister John Duncan and Attawapiskat First Nation announce awarding of construction contract for the new 5808-square-meter school for 540 students from kindergarten to grade 8. No announcement on how Canada plans to address other school needs outlined in the Parliamentary Budget Officer report in 2009. Read the Parliamentary Budget Officer report on First Nations education, May 25, 2009.

Private Member’s motion supporting Shannen’s Dream is unanimously supported by the House of Commons.

Have a Heart Day: a campaign to give First Nations children the same chance to grow up safely at home, get a good education, be healthy, and proud of their cultures. Hundreds of students and supporters joined together on Parliament Hill for the 1st year.

Final Report released by the National Panel on First Nation Elementary and Secondary Education. Read the report.

Six First Nations Youth Ambassadors travel to Geneva to present to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. 

Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples releases report, Reforming First Nations Education: From Crisis to Hope, calling on the federal government to provide equitable funding for First Nations schools.

Report on Priority Actions in View of Improving First Nations Education released by FNEC, NAN and FSIN as a parallel report to the National Panel on First Nations Education.