FOR RELEASE
June 06, 2026

This is a joint news release between the Government of Yukon and the Every Student, Every Day Society.

Every Student, Every Day Society, in partnership with the Government of Yukon, has awarded $300,000 to 31 locally designed and led projects across the Yukon through the Every Student, Every Day fund.

Over the next school year, schools and school councils will implement 31 projects designed to help increase student attendance. These innovative, grassroots projects work directly to remove barriers, increase engagement in student learning and promote a greater sense of belonging in school communities.

Since its establishment in 2012, the Every Student, Every Day fund has supported 288 local student attendance projects with over $2.9 million raised from Yukon businesses, including many in the mining sector and individual donations.

This year, the Every Student, Every Day projects ranged from student-built outdoor learning spaces to hydroponic growing towers to professional wrestling and anti-bullying workshops.

Every Student, Every Day is a uniquely Yukon initiative and an inspiring example of the positive impact a connected community can have on young learners. Our government is proud of the collaborative investment the society, the business community and Yukoners collectively dedicate each year towards supporting student engagement, attendance and success. I look forward to seeing these innovative projects and how they will improve the learning experiences of students across the territory.

Minister of Education Scott Kent

Every year, we continue to be inspired by the creativity, care and commitment Yukon communities bring forward to support students. These projects reflect what makes Yukon special – schools, First Nations, families, educators, businesses and communities working together to help students feel connected, supported and excited to learn. On behalf of Every Student, Every Day Society Yukon, we are incredibly proud to support these locally driven initiatives and grateful to our partners and donors who help make this work possible.

President of Every Student, Every Day Society Yukon Tara Christie

Quick facts

• A committee of Department of Education staff and Every Student, Every Day Society representatives selected the successful projects. The funds will be implemented in the 2026–27 school year.

Backgrounder

Every Student, Every Day – student attendance projects funded for 2026–27

Centre scolaire secondaire communautaire Paul-Émile Mercier – Whitehorse
Atelier vivant Mercier – $25,000

• A structured school workshop for students with specialized equipment, including portable carpentry tools (drills, saws, screwdrivers), a full set of hand tools, sturdy gardening equipment, safety equipment (goggles, gloves, ear protection) and secure storage.

Christ the King Elementary School – Whitehorse
You Belong Here initiative – $15,000

• An innovated approach to strengthen students’ sense of belonging. Multiple activities will support an engaging environment, including sensory equipment, gross motor equipment and audio-visual equipment.

Del Van Gorder School – Faro    
Mental Health Tool Kit – $5,000

• Sensory and other equipment to support skills of self-regulation, self-reflection, concentration and focus.

École Émilie-Tremblay – Whitehorse
Balance Bikes, Young Leaders in Action, Traditional Costumes and Hydroponic Gardens – $20,000

• Balance bikes for the kindergarten outdoor programming.
• Outdoor play equipment for the Young Leaders in Action program, which helps students in Grades 4 to 6 build leadership skills by working younger students. 
• Restoring and/or purchasing costumes for The Souliers Dansants, a traditional French-Canadian dance group. 
• Hydroponic towers for students to: learn about food insecurity in the North; explore local, sustainable solutions; and boost STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) motivation with a living, interactive laboratory.

École Whitehorse Elementary School – Whitehorse
STEAM Materials – $10,000

• Creating a highly engaging environment with materials and tools for STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) programs and learning spaces promotes hands-on learning and fosters intrinsic motivation, imagination, creativity and play.  

Elijah Smith Elementary School – Whitehorse
Increasing the sense of school belonging – $12,000

• Elijah Smith Eagle Events is a series of school community events designed to increase engagement and belonging for students and their families, including community breakfasts, activity nights and educational sessions. A photography project will help students to see themselves and their peers positively represented in the school environment. Photographs capturing students with cultural clothing and meaningful items, including students’ quotes about their identity and pride in themselves, will be displayed in framed prints throughout the school.

Eliza Van Bibber School – Pelly Crossing
Community Drive-Thru – $10,000

• Increasing the school kitchen’s professional-grade culinary hub for a student-led Community Drive-Thru social enterprise. The hands-on model encourages attendance by providing tangible business experience and fostering pride in contributing to graduation goals.

Gadzoosdaa Student Residence – Whitehorse
Healthy Bodies/Healthy Minds – $6,000

• Remove barriers to attendance by providing a home-like environment for students.

Grey Mountain Primary School – Whitehorse
After school bike club – $4,570

• Maintenance and expansion of the school bike fleet, including safety upkeep, essential safety gear, tools, lumber and hooks for bike storage.

Individual Learning Centre – Whitehorse
Support for certifications and hygiene supplies – $8,500

• Supporting students to obtain professional certifications that support employment readiness, such as First Aid and CPR, driver’s licence, FOODSAFE, IT certifications, chainsaw safety and more.
• Stocking the Individual Learning Centre’s hygiene cabinet with basics supplies and essential items.

J.V. Clark School – Mayo
Experiential and Hands-on Learning – $25,000

• Purchasing: equipment for the kitchen, woodshop, and science room; wood, supplies and storage for the woodshop programming; and audio-visual equipment for school events.

Jack Hulland Elementary School – Whitehorse
Outdoor land-based play and performance – $10,000

• To support mental wellness, strengthen relationships, engage diverse learners and create a school environment where students feel motivated to attend and participate regularly, the school will provide materials and loose parts for creative play, outdoor art spaces and a portable sound system for assemblies and student performances. These resources offer meaningful opportunities of participation, collaboration and self-expression.

Johnson Elementary School – Watson Lake
Outdoor Education Space – $12,000

• Constructing a permanent fire pit learning area and providing essential tools and gear remove barriers to participation and support on-the-land learning, such as fishing, plant identification and outdoor cooking. The fire pit will be built in partnership with local high school for students.

Kluane Lake School – Destruction Bay
Outdoor Learning Space – $15,500

• Construction of a permanent wall tent platform, wind shield and tanning station will enhance the outdoor learning space, support hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) learning and support cultural workshops with knowledge holders.

Porter Creek Secondary School – Whitehorse
Fitness Room Updates – $9,287.97

• Fitness room updates to accommodate the growing student population, including replacing worn equipment, adding new hand weights, updating cardio equipment and expanding outdoor fitness options.

Programme Confluence – Dawson
Wall Tent – $4,815.83

• This project covers the cost of the exploration tent, frame and constructing a wooden base.

Robert Service School – Dawson 
Drama Programming Updates – $14,000

• Drama programming upgrades, including wireless microphones, stage lights, stage curtains, costumes and constructing reuseable, multipurpose stage platforms.

Selkirk Elementary School – Whitehorse
Carving – $15,600

• Developing students’ carving skills and learning about Yukon First Nations ways of knowing, doing and being.

Selkirk First Nation – Pelly Crossing
Land-Based Learning Days – $13,000

• Strengthening school community relationships, belonging and cultural identity, teachers and Selkirk First Nation Elders will deliver curriculum outdoors through Traditional Knowledge, seasonal activities and hands-on learning.

St. Elias Community School – Haines Junction
Potlatch Bags – $1,000

• Potlatch bags for every student in the school for participation in shared meals and cultural events.

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Secondary School – Whitehorse
Youth Engagement Project – $6,000

• Providing extracurricular, school-sanctioned opportunities for youth who may not otherwise have access.

Takhini Elementary School – Whitehorse
Timberwolves on the Snow and on the Land – $10,000

• Updating cross-country ski equipment for students in Grades 4 to 5.

Tantalus Community School – Carmacks
Culture camp, science fair – $7,333.50

• Supporting a culture camp and participation in the annual science fair, including student travel to the regional science fair in Whitehorse.

Watson Lake Secondary School – Watson Lake
Gym Equipment Revamp – $20,000

• Encouraging early morning attendance and fulfilling student requests for gym access before school, weight room revitalization includes replacing outdated, unsafe equipment with modern machines, weights and mats.

Yukon Arts Centre – Watson Lake
Canadian Wrestling Federation Boot Camp Week – $20,000

• An interactive, school-based program that blends fitness, fun, inclusion, performance, positive mindset practice and personal development to build confidence, respect and teamwork. Led by Canadian Wrestling Federation professionals, students explore boxing, professional wrestling fundamentals, drama, storytelling and stage production while engaging in anti-bullying and motivational workshops.

Yukon Montessori School – Whitehorse
Drum Making – $5,200

• Supporting students in Grades 1 to 7 to create their own drums with guidance from a Yukon First Nations Citizen and a Knowledge Keeper, who will also guide students in learning songs, dances and culturally appropriate protocols.
   

Media contact

Tim Kucharuk
Press secretary, Cabinet Communications
867-335-2419
tim.kucharuk@yukon.ca 

Krisandra Reid 
Communications, Education 
867-332-3743 
krisandra.reid@yukon.ca 

Tara Christie
Every Student, Every Day Society Yukon
778-928-0556
tchristie@banyangold.com