Issue link: https://takingitglobal.uberflip.com/i/1542824
R. Adeboye, C. Flewelling,V. Ogbole, E. O'Sullivan 70 I am a settler educator… I know, just from talking to colleagues…there's always a hesitancy and a nervousness around…We don't want to share something that's not ours to share, and we don't want to be going into the area of cultural appropriation at all…and Connected North has certainly supported us in being able to center Indigenous voices. Write-in responses to the teachers' survey included a modest number (100% positive) related to improved teacher cultural competencies. Comments highlighted how much teachers had learned about Indigenous culture and history; and also mentioned how the program had helped teachers build relationships with their local communities. Medium-Term Outcome #1: Increased Student Attendance Although most surveyed teachers agreed that Connected North supports attendance, interviewees were more cautious, noting mainly higher attendance on session days rather than sustained patterns—though the potential for short-term attendance to help build longer-term attachment to school was noted. As noted above, 95% of teachers at least somewhat agreed that Connected North contributes to student attendance. The student survey provides additional evidence that the program supports attendance, as 63% of students at least somewhat agreed that they "like coming to school more when I know there will be a Connected North session 36 ." In interviews, a few teachers discussed attendance, and had mixed views on the program's influence. At the most striking end of the spectrum, one teacher indicated that "I literally have kids that just come for the Connected North days. And honestly, that's okay by me, because I'm just happy to see them. Because attendance is very low." Another teacher, however, did not observe this effect, stating that "the students that got the most enjoyment out of it were my students that I was seeing every day to begin with." While the balance of evidence does suggest that Connected North has a positive influence on attendance, that evidence spoke to immediate-term attendance, not necessarily the sustained attendance that is implied by the classification of "increased attendance" as a medium-term outcome on the Program Theory. That being said, one interviewed teacher highlighted that, while her immediate goal was getting students to attend on a given day, it was part of a longer term strategy to boost attendance: "If this is their ticket of what is making them come to school, get up in the morning, catch that bus to town…Slowly, bit by bit, we're breaking down those barriers 36 About one fifth were neutral while about 15% disagreed. "These experiences haven't just enriched my knowledge— they've helped me build meaningful relationships and strengthen my ties to culture and community." -Teacher Survey Respondent Mild Positive Sentiment Low Volume of Relevant Evidence M M L Evidence Base L Teacher Survey - Univariate Analysis Student Survey - Univariate Analysis Teacher Interviews