Aboriginal HIPPY Canada
This entry has been selected as a finalist in the
Inspiring Approaches to First Nations, Métis and Inuit Learning competition.
The Aboriginal HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) Program first came to me in 2009 where I was hired on as the Aboriginal HIPPY Home visitor/Coordinator for the Musqueam Indian band. Most recently HIPPY Canada has hired me as the Regional Aboriginal HIPPY Coordinator in BC; I over look the 5 Aboriginal HIPPY sites (Musqueam, Katzie, T’Sliel-Waututh, Squamish and Vancouver Native Health) who work within their own community. I provide a bi-weekly training to all home visitors and coordinators within each site; also an ongoing resource support for each program. I have been privileged to see first hand, the benefits of this program. Parents and children involved in the HIPPY program receive a multitude of educational, economic and social benefits. The HIPPY program empowers parents and improves self-worth as they discover their ability to become their child’s first and most important teacher. Child- parent interaction is improved as they work together on fun activities and it reduces social isolation and fosters active participation by parents, while increasing and improving their own literacy skills. This program enhances early childhood development by improving on a number of different cognitive, pre-literacy, numerical and linguistic skills. I think the more people know about this amazing program, the more people will be excited to get involved. I hope to raise awareness with this application.
Aboriginal HIPPY Canada uses a National data collection system called Efforts To Outcomes (ETO). Home Visitors enter data on home visits, bi-weekly group meetings, referrals and graduations on a daily basis. Aboriginal HIPPY is a home-based education program that teaches parents to be their children's first teacher and prepare their 3-5 year olds for school. HIPPY parents are supported by easy-to-use activity packets that make learning and play fun, and home visits by care professionals (home visitors) and group meetings. The community hires a Home Visitor to deliver the Aboriginal HIPPY program; HIPPY Canada trains the home visitor to go out into the community and introduce the Aboriginal HIPPY Program to families who have children ages 3-5yrs. The home visitor role plays the 30-week curriculum, over the course of the school year, once a week with parents (working one on one with the parents and the curriculum). The parents who register in the Aboriginal HIPPY program then commit to a three-year term, and work with their child once a day for 15 minutes, five times a week. Home Visitors host a bi-weekly group meeting for the parents to help resolve isolation parents may have, and to give an opportunity to the ongoing resource the program provides to the community.
About You
About You
First Name
Iris
Last Name
Point
Confirm a user name that will be displayed publicly to identify your entry
Abroginal HIPPY Canada
About You, Your Group, or Your Organization
Name
Aboriginal HIPPY Canada
Website
Country
Canada, BC
Please confirm that this project could benefit First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples
Yes
Twitter URL
Facebook URL
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/HIPPY-Canada/107112056027996
Youtube URL
What categories best describe who your group or organization serves (check all that apply)
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.
What best describes your group or organization
Non-profit organization.
How long have you, your group, or your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Innovation
Name Your Project.
Aboriginal HIPPY Canada
Tell us the story of your idea or project
The Aboriginal HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) Program first came to me in 2009 where I was hired on as the Aboriginal HIPPY Home visitor/Coordinator for the Musqueam Indian band. Most recently HIPPY Canada has hired me as the Regional Aboriginal HIPPY Coordinator in BC; I over look the 5 Aboriginal HIPPY sites (Musqueam, Katzie, T’Sliel-Waututh, Squamish and Vancouver Native Health) who work within their own community. I provide a bi-weekly training to all home visitors and coordinators within each site; also an ongoing resource support for each program. I have been privileged to see first hand, the benefits of this program. Parents and children involved in the HIPPY program receive a multitude of educational, economic and social benefits. The HIPPY program empowers parents and improves self-worth as they discover their ability to become their child’s first and most important teacher. Child- parent interaction is improved as they work together on fun activities and it reduces social isolation and fosters active participation by parents, while increasing and improving their own literacy skills. This program enhances early childhood development by improving on a number of different cognitive, pre-literacy, numerical and linguistic skills. I think the more people know about this amazing program, the more people will be excited to get involved. I hope to raise awareness with this application.
Aboriginal HIPPY Canada uses a National data collection system called Efforts To Outcomes (ETO). Home Visitors enter data on home visits, bi-weekly group meetings, referrals and graduations on a daily basis. Aboriginal HIPPY is a home-based education program that teaches parents to be their children's first teacher and prepare their 3-5 year olds for school. HIPPY parents are supported by easy-to-use activity packets that make learning and play fun, and home visits by care professionals (home visitors) and group meetings. The community hires a Home Visitor to deliver the Aboriginal HIPPY program; HIPPY Canada trains the home visitor to go out into the community and introduce the Aboriginal HIPPY Program to families who have children ages 3-5yrs. The home visitor role plays the 30-week curriculum, over the course of the school year, once a week with parents (working one on one with the parents and the curriculum). The parents who register in the Aboriginal HIPPY program then commit to a three-year term, and work with their child once a day for 15 minutes, five times a week. Home Visitors host a bi-weekly group meeting for the parents to help resolve isolation parents may have, and to give an opportunity to the ongoing resource the program provides to the community.
Define your idea / project in 1-2 short sentences
Aboriginal HIPPY is a home-based education program that teaches parents to be their children's first teacher and prepare their 3-5 year old for school.
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Expanding (it has been running for a while, has grown, you know it is making a difference and now you want to expand)
Social Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
Please tell us about the social impact of your idea or proect
HIPPY Canada works to strengthen ties within neighbourhoods, so that communities have the capacity to take care of themselves. The HIPPY program promotes First Nations Culture, multiculturalism and anti-racism; it develops friendships and a sense of connectedness, and helps families access services in and around the community. The HIPPY program involves local businesses and other regional organizations to ensure that HIPPY is truly reflective of the communities that it serves. In addition to these social benefits, there is an undeniable cost benefit to the HIPPY program, both to the children who succeed in school, and to the greater community.
Your Future Goal(s): Tell us what you hope to achieve with your idea or project in the next year
To expand AHV Sites Nation wide, To expand administrative capacity, and raise program awareness
In 5 years, what will be different as a result of your idea/project?
Five years can make huge change in an Aboriginal Community. In five years a new site would have each HIPPY mother and father feeling connected to their community, knowledgeable of the programs and resources they have access to, involved and connected to other mothers and fathers in the community, and bonded with their child as the important educator they are. Five years of an Aboriginal HIPPY program builds a healthier community family by family.
Sustainability
Tell us about the people/ partnerships that are already involved and why they are important to your idea or project.
Aboriginal HIPPY Canada has recently created an advisory committee comprised of some very influential people. Dr. Jo-Ann Archibald, Associate Dean Indigenous Education, UBC; Verna Billy-Minnabarriet, Vice President Nicola Valley Institute of Technology; Wendy Grant–John, Musqueam Councillor; Karen Isaac, BC Aboriginal Childcare Society; and Dr. Paul Kershaw, College of Interdisciplinary Studies, UBC. We are working with this committee on a quarterly basis strategically planning and goal setting for Aboriginal HIPPY. As well HIPPY Canada has a board of directors that work with Aboriginal HIPPY to support and aid whenever they are requested to. These people are crucial to the expansion of Aboriginal HIPPY Canada.
If there are other people/partners that you will reach out to tell us who they are and why they will be important to your idea or project.
Raising awareness of Aboriginal HIPPY is a goal in the forefront of our minds. Connecting with regional government stakeholders and First Nation governments are something we are working hard at doing. We are working to develop a communication strategy to raise awareness of Aboriginal HIPPY with Federal, territorial and First Nations governments. This will likely be done two ways. 1) branding Aboriginal HIPPY through developing a video that highlights all aspects of the Aboriginal HIPPY program, on and off reserve and 2) developing community social marketing tools and materials.
Describe the kinds of support you receive (other than money) or will need to support your idea or project (e.g.: donated, space, equipment and volunteers)
Aboriginal HIPPY is quickly growing out of office space which is exciting and scary at the same time. We will need new office space and equipment in the very near future.
Do you currently have funding for your idea or project?
Yes (answer the next two questions)
| Attachment | Size |
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| hippycanada_logo.gif | 11.94 KB |
 | 69 weeks ago Iris Point updated this Competition Entry. |
| 69 weeks ago Iris Point updated this Competition Entry. |
| 71 weeks ago Iris Point submitted this idea. |
