The Provincial Task Force on Poverty and Education is hoping to better understand how poverty affects youth and their education.

This is why they are launching community consultations and engagement to better understand how poverty affects youth and their education, according to Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko.

"The role of the task force is to ensure engagement across sectors and communities through a child-centred approach to identify recommendations to support student success and well-being," says Ewasko in a press release. "Listening to and consulting with those who have lived experience with poverty is integral to this conversation, and will shape the recommendations for the government’s strategy on poverty as it relates to equity in education."

The task force was launched in the fall of 2021 to examine the correlation between poverty and education and work in connection with the province’s Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Ewasko met with the task force chairs to discuss priorities and goals earlier this week. Two key responsibilities of the task force include addressing joint poverty and education issues and bringing forward advice on areas of action to the Poverty Reduction Committee of Cabinet.

The part involving the public will involve reaching out to high school students around Manitoba. Students will be asked to share their perspectives through a variety of creative or traditional approaches including songs, poems, videos, comics, art, dance, essays, letters, short stories or social media.

"We are pleased students will be heavily involved in the task force’s engagement work in ways that are unique to their backgrounds, skills and abilities," says Ewasko. "The task force will move forward in a way that acknowledges and prioritizes the unique needs and cultural diversity of children and communities in Manitoba."

Ewasko noted that in the spring, the task force will seek input from a number of expert engagement panels and invite submissions from stakeholders and the public.

He says poverty extends beyond the education system and requires a whole-of-system approach to identify barriers and solutions. The work of the task force will lead to holistic support for the needs of children and youth, and respond to the impacts of poverty on learning.

According to the release, additional work is underway and includes:

  • collaborating with the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy to understand the depth of poverty across communities in Manitoba; and
  • establishing a subcommittee focused on nutrition and food security.
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