Prospective students visit Thunder Bay to sample DFC Experience

Prospective high school students from remote First Nations in northern Ontario are getting a sense this week of what it might be like to live and study in Thunder Bay, Ont.

They're the guests of Dennis Franklin CromartyHigh School, which has flown the students to town for a week-long visit packed with workshops, activities and special guests all aimed at making the teens feel more comfortable with the idea of one day leaving home to attend the school.

"We're hoping it will go along way in kind of getting them adjusted before they come here," said Sean Spenrath, the First Nations student success program coordinator at the school.

"Eventually whether it's [in] one year or two years that they come here, they won't be as scared to come here."

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The first-time event, dubbed the DFCExperience, was funded througha $50,000 Toronto Raptors Community Action Grant, which the school obtained last year.

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At first, staff considered using the money to bring kids from various communities to the school fora basketball tournament, said Spenrath, but on second thought,they decided to go bigger and broader.

The activities of the week are meant to showcase the many strengths of the school, he said, such as art, music, technology and athletics.

Accomplished Indigenous role-models, including basketball player Michael Linklater, and musicians Classic Roots, Natasha Fisher, Shibastikand RedCloud, have been brought in to lead clinics and workshops.

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As visiting teenssample the different activities, they're grouped with current students from their home communities, said Spenrath, giving older students the chance to take younger ones under their wing.

Grade 12 student Ashley McKayis one of the older students taking on a leadership role.

When the now-17-year-old first started attendingDennis Franklin CromartyHigh School, she was already living in Thunder Bay, and was familiar with the northern Ontario city.

But for other teens from her home community of SandyLake, a remote First Nation located approximately 600 km northwestof Thunder Bay, she knows the transition will be harder.

"I know they're shy still. They'rekind of afraid of Thunder Bay, I guess," she said, referring to the students who travel far away from home each year to attend school, but she thinks the chance to visit the school, and meet the teachers will help.

"I think it'll make them feel better," she said.

As part of their efforts to make students feel more comfortable, the school also partnered with the city, Spenrathsaid, to take visiting teens on a guided tour of Thunder Bay on city buses.

"So that's one of the way we're trying to help these kids coming in," he said.

Spenrathsaid the hope is to make the DFCExperience week an annual event.

"We're hoping to just keep adding and building onto the event for next year and making it bigger and better," he said.