Equipped to Promote Continuous Learning in Nunavut
In Inuktitut, Ilitaqsiniq means to recognize and be able to read the world around you.
It’s a fitting name for the Ilitaqsiniq Nunavut Literacy Council (NLC), which has been strengthening community literacy skills in the cultural context of Nunavut since 1999.
Executive Director Adriana Kusugak has led the council to success alongside her colleague Guillaume Charron and the rest of the dedicated team. Together, they oversee an array of cultural programs such as early childhood education and cooking and sewing classes that keep families learning together.
The NLC also conducts research into community literacy as well as fee-for-service work—a move that motivated Adriana and Guillaume to consider establishing a business arm to the non-profit.
To help the pair navigate their options and the legalities of small business development, Adriana and Guillaume were matched up with CESO Advisor Monica Lent for a mentorship program through CESO’s partnership with the Government of Nunavut.
At the beginning of March, Monica arrived in Iqaluit. For the next five days, she taught Adriana and Guillaume how to write a business plan and explained the legal structures that a start-up should adopt.
“Since they had never completed a business plan before, by going through the process, they developed the skills needed to transfer that learning into future applications,” explains Monica. “For instance, in the event that they needed to prepare a business plan for any NLC project or activity.”
With Adriana and Guillaume confidently penning the NLC’s market section and competitive analysis, Monica returned home to Thunder Bay, ON, to commence the virtual component of the assignment.
Seeking advice from Monica by email, Adrianna and Guillaume worked independently on the business plan while Monica provided virtual support on financial projections. At the end of the busy week, they regrouped by phone to piece together the different parts of the plan and celebrate the finished document that symbolized a way forward.
“Since they had never completed a business plan before, by going through the process, they developed the skills needed to transfer that learning into future applications.”
Monica Lent, CESO Advisor
“Everybody met the deadline and successfully accomplished what they set out to do,” shares Monica.
Living out the virtues of continuous learning, Adriana and Guillaume are equipped to plan for business success. They have a system to achieve their goals and the knowledge to make decisions about proceeding with a business venture.
Adriana and Guillaume feel secure that with this training, the NLC will continue delivering programs that help advance critical literacy and language skills, open doors to further educational and employment opportunities and unlock brighter futures across Nunavut.
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