Culturally appropriate intervention for students with attendance problems

The Aboriginal Attendance Circle (AAC) project combines restorative justice and a sharing circle model to address truancy within the Aboriginal community in Edmonton. As a part of the AAC, Aboriginal students with attendance issues work with elders towards holistic solutions that will enable them to attend school regularly. The project provides a culturally appropriate alternative to the Alberta Attendance Board.

The AAC is our response to the attendance issues that we have seen frequently arise in our work with Aboriginal students, parents, and school personnel.  The AAC works to build collaborative relationships between the Attendance Board, Aboriginal families and children, and elders in the hopes of reducing the high attendance problems, low achievement, and high drop-out rates. Our approach is unique in that we take into account the barriers which arise from the historical experience of colonization, cultural genocide and residential schools.

See the program brochure here.