Building a Stronger Future Through Inuktitut Literacy
Nunavut Bilingual Education Society , in partnership with Inhabit Education | ITE Grant Recipient | $479,000 | Retain Stream
Region:
“Strong literacy skills are the foundation of academic success,” say the educators behind a new initiative led by the Nunavut Bilingual Education Society (NBES) and Inhabit Education (IE). With support from the Rideau Hall Foundation’s Indigenous Teacher Education (ITE) Initiative, NBES and IE are launching the Inuktitut Literacy Sequence (ILS) Resource Package—a landmark project designed by Inuit educators, for Inuit students.
What Makes This Project Unique?
Unlike traditional literacy methods, the ILS Teacher Manual provides a structured, evidence-based framework for teaching Inuktitut that is both culturally rooted and pedagogically rigorous. It builds upon the foundation of the Nipittiavait Inuktitut Phonics and Word Study Program by going a step further: helping students not just learn symbols and sounds, but actually decode full words and sentences—moving toward true reading fluency in their own language.
The package includes:
- A comprehensive ILS Teacher Manual grounded in structured literacy and adapted to Inuktitut;
- Over 50 classroom sound wall cards featuring culturally relevant vocabulary and imagery;
- At least 40 decodable texts that progress alongside students’ growing skills.
Each resource is created with Inuit identity and community context at its core, enabling children to see themselves reflected in what they read, and empowering teachers with reliable, effective tools.
Local Impact with National Reach
The initiative aims to enhance Inuktitut instruction across the territory by building strategic partnerships that will guide a thoughtful rollout of these resources. The goal is to equip educators with tools that help them teach Inuktitut with confidence and effectiveness. Additionally, the final resources will be freely accessible online, ensuring educators and students throughout Nunavut, and beyond, can benefit from them
Why It Matters
Indigenous students thrive when their languages and cultures are visible and valued in their education. The ILS Resource Package affirms that identity while delivering best-practice literacy instruction. By supporting teacher development and culturally relevant learning, this initiative opens doors for students to not only succeed in school—but also to see teaching as a career they, too, can pursue.
The Inuktitut Literacy Sequencing we are developing will respond to the most current research in language acquisition and brain development. This will provide a rationale and tools for Inuit educators to teach language most effectively, using evidence-based tools.
~ Jaypeetee Arnakak, Executive Director, Nunavut Bilingual Education Society
About the ITE Grant
The Rideau Hall Foundation launched the Indigenous Teacher Education Initiative to grow and support a representative, culturally rooted Indigenous education workforce. Through a national Open Call, projects were selected through a rigorous peer-review process led by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis education experts.
Two funding streams—Reinforce and Retain—respond to urgent priorities in Indigenous teacher education, from scaling successful training programs to improving teacher retention and support. NBES and IE’s project was selected under the Retain Stream, which funds projects up to $500,000 that build tools, relationships, and environments where Indigenous educators can thrive.
Learn More
Explore how Indigenous communities across the country are leading education transformation.
This is just one of many regions taking bold steps. Read more about other ITE grant recipients.