Hats off, to courageous and generous individuals like Michelle Durant-Dudley http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/this-teacher-is-on-a-mission-to-educate-first-nations/article2289480/  a teacher, who since 2009 has been volunteering her time to help aboriginal residents of the Wahgoshig First Nation gain their high school diplomas.

When close to $3-billion began to flow into the area with the construction of a gold mine, most of the local aboriginal residents found themselves shut out of the good job opportunities because of lack of education. Ms. Durant-Dudley’s personal mission to improve the quality of life on this reserve has now resulted in producing 40 graduates. She has now been hired by band leaders and provided with  $400,000.00 in funding that came with the mine business, to teach 70 more students enrolled in this year’s program.

The initative is snowballing and other First Nations want in, but the problem is lack of teachers who understand First Nations cultures and values. 

A perfect “opportunity is knocking” for aboriginal youth to fill these roles as teachers and role-models like Ms. Durant-Dudley, leading the way towards the postive change that will come when educational opportunities are provided to the countless bright aboriginal children thirsting for a chance to learn. Hopefully, the best and the brightest of today’s teenagers will “hear the knocking and heed the call”.