Page 51 - Georgina Island

Secondary
Our students in Grades 9–12 must travel off the island to get a
high school education. Most of our students attend high school
in Sutton, although some may travel to other locations. The
change from a small elementary school that is close to home to
a much larger school with many more students can be difficult.
It means learning new routines, meeting many new people, and
making new friends.

The largest challenge is crossing the lake every day to attend
school. Our students must catch the island bus and then ride
the ferry to the mainland where they take a second bus to their
school. This means an early start to the day. When the lake is
freezing up and over the winter months until the spring thaw,
travel across the lake can be dangerous.

Most students board in mainland homes from Monday to Friday
and travel home on the scoot on weekends. Staying away from
home during the week can be hard, but students can more easily
attend extracurricular activities such as team sports and music
and dance lessons. The First Nation Administration office looks
after the cost of boarding.

Post-Secondary

Our members who choose to pursue a post-secondary (college
and university) education may attend colleges or universities
anywhere in the country.

We have had members study in places as close as Georgian
College in Barrie and as far away as Lakehead University in
Thunder Bay, at University of British Columbia, and at Dalhousie
University in Nova Scotia. In many cases, the First Nation
Administration looks after the cost of tuition and books and
provides a living allowance.

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