One of the recipients of the 2019 Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching hails from Manitoulin Island.
Heather Jefkins teaches Grades 3 and 4 students at Assiginack Public School and as part of her curriculum had them explore the traditional fibre arts of quilting and weaving through a project called Weaving Stories and Stitching History.
By examining history through the lens of textile arts, students investigated the daily lives of early settlers as well as made comparisons between the past and the present.
Over the course of five months, students had the opportunity to try quilting, weaving, cross-stitch and embroidery, and helped to prepare raw fleece provided by a local farmer.
For her excellence in producing the program, not only will she be presented with the award, Jefkins will share her experiences on January 19th as part of the 12th Canada’s History Forum.