First Nations Parents Club
Parents and families play a key role in the education of their children. First Nations parents and guardians have a right to be involved in all decisions about their children’s education.
For over two decades, FNESC and the First Nations Schools Association have organized a First Nations Parents Club to promote the key role of parents and caregivers in the educational success of their children.
The First Nations Parents Club is comprised of locally based parent clubs in British Columbia. Clubs receive newsletters and a variety of practical resources to support parental engagement and advocacy. In addition, funding grants are distributed each year for local Club activities, such as sponsoring guest speakers, training opportunities, and other activities to encourage parental engagement in education.
Sharing News
Parents Club Grants
FNESC and the First Nations Schools Association (FNSA) support for First Nations Parents Club activities through annual grants. This initiative is for registered clubs that are associated with a BC First Nation or BC First Nation school. The grant is intended to help achieve the Club’s goal of supporting First Nations parents and the important role they play in the education of their children and it can be used to support activities such as in-person and virtual parent gatherings, guest speakers for parent workshops, and books/games/resources to encourage parental involvement and learning.
Eligible clubs will be contacted with further details about the 2026-2027 Grant Guidelines.
Club Newsletter
See the latest First Nations Parents Club Newsletter.
Our January 2025 issue focuses on cellphone restrictions for public schools, managing screentime, attendance and school involvement.
Does your club have news, photos or art to share? We would love to hear from you and please get in touch.
Please contact us for the consent forms for sharing art, photos and video. A FNESC/FNSA consent form is required for each student and adult featured in the submission.
Registering a New Club
We invite new registrations. Registering a new Club requires that you have a local person who is willing to take responsibility for registering the club, organizing meetings/activities, and being the primary contact person.
If you’d like to register a new club or update the details of your existing club, please contact us.
New clubs receive a welcome package that includes start-up materials and incentive items.
Contact
For questions, club registrations and updates, and sharing photos and news, please contact parentsclub@fnesc.ca.
For simplicity, the First Nations Parents Club uses the term “parents,” but the Club intends the term to be inclusive of grandparents, family members, and other caregivers who contribute to the lives of First Nations children.
Related Resources
A Toolkit for First Nations Parents and Families is available, which includes a series of papers that can be adapted and shared with parents to provide information about the importance of parental involvement in education, how to interact with the school system, and creating healthy and supportive learning environments at home.
To raise awareness about the importance of regular school attendance, FNESC and FNSA created Attendance Counts! An Information Guide for Families, which highlights key information to help families work with schools and the broader community to plan and implement attendance campaigns and capacity building sessions.
Guiding Your Education Journey: A Handbook for First Nations Families shares information to help families decide what courses students should take – especially in Grades 10, 11 and 12 – assists with planning for post-secondary education, training and future careers.
Recognizing that parents are their children’s first and most important teachers, FNESC and FNSA developed the resource Fun Activities for Learning Together at Home, which has suggestions to help families enjoy learning opportunities together.
