The FNSA Conference and Annual General Meeting is a valuable networking and information sharing opportunity.

FNSA Conference and Annual General Meeting 2023
April 21-22, 2023
Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel, Richmond

The First Nations Schools Association (FNSA) Conference and Annual General Meeting are opportunities to share best practices, compare experiences, and learn together. This year’s conference theme is Resilience: Purpose, People and Persistence. Together, we will explore a wide range of effective practices in classroom instruction, school administration and key areas of professional growth.

Hosted at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport in Richmond, BC, the event features concurrent workshops, exhibitors, plenary presentations and networking opportunities.

Keynote Speakers

Michelle Good is a Cree writer and a member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. Her poems, short stories, and essays have been published in magazines and anthologies across Canada, and her poetry was included on two lists of the best Canadian poetry in 2016 and 2017. She is author of the best-selling novel, Five Little Indians, which was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and was CBC Canada Reads 2022 winner.

Dr. Patricia Makokis is an internationally renowned speaker, author, and pioneer for Indigenous education whose Tribal Affiliation is Nehiyô (Plains Cree). Her passion is to educate, inform and ignite revitalization of the communities, reinstall hope through traditional practices and change outcomes for people within her lifetime.  She has been a front-line teacher, a vice-principal, a principal, and an educator at the post-secondary level.

Registration

 

  • Each school can register up to 8 people (including the school’s Authorized Representative and Principal). On the registration form there will be a dropdown with the school names. Your school name will continue to appear until all 8 spots are filled.
  • Registration is still on a first-come, first-served basis, and registration will close when we reach overall capacity. Historically, we have filled to capacity very quickly, so please register early to avoid disappointment!
  • When you register online you will receive an automatic email acknowledging your registration. If you need to cancel or make workshop changes, please use the link at the bottom of that email to request those changes.
  • If staff from your school are also workshop presenters, they are eligible for free registration and can be in addition to the 8 per school.
REGISTER
Download the program

 

Payment Options

  • Regular Registrants: $400
  • FNSA Authorized Representatives (max. one per school): $200
  • Complimentary (workshop presenters or special guests): $0
Invoice to School
  • Step 1: Register for the conference. The maximum is 8 people per school (including the authorized representative and principal).
  • Step 2: The principal emails conference@fnesc.ca to request an invoice to the school. Include all registrant names. Put “Invoice Request” in the subject line.
  • Step 3: The school will receive an invoice.
  • Step 4: Payment must be received by the FNSA prior to the conference.

Please note that there is no group registration form this year.

Credit Card
  • Payment can be made by credit card during online registration or by phoning in payment to CivicInfo at 250-383-4898 after registering.

Policies

  • Payment must be received by April 14th or the registration will be cancelled.
  • Cancellation policy: Full refunds up to and including April 14, 2023; no refunds after. Substitutions allowed.

Support

For registration support, please contact conference@fnesc.ca.

Accommodation

You can select any of the three hotels that are part of the Richmond Conference Centre:

  1. Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel (main conference venue)
  2. Vancouver Airport Marriott Hotel
  3. Hilton Vancouver Airport Hotel

Room rates are $205 single/double, $225 triple, plus tax. All three hotels are an easy walk from one another.

We encourage you to make your reservation early, as rooms may sell out. After March 20, 2023, reservations will be available only on a space and rate available basis.

Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel (main conference venue)

  • 7551 Westminster Highway, Richmond, BC,  V6X 1A3
  • Reservations: 1-800-663-0299 or 604-273-7878 quoting “FNSA 27th Annual Conference and AGM”
  • Book online: Sheraton Booking Link

Vancouver Airport Marriott Hotel

  • 7571 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC,  V6X 1A3
  • Reservations: 1-604-233-3991 quoting “FNSA 27th Annual Conference and AGM”
    Book online: Marriott Booking Link

 Hilton Vancouver Airport Hotel

  • 5911 Minoru Blvd, Richmond, BC,  V6X 4C7
  • Reservations: 1-604-233-3990 quoting “FNSA 27th Annual Conference and AGM”
  • Book online: Hilton Booking Link

Authorized School Representatives

Each FNSA member school in good standing has one individual who is registered as the FNSA Authorized School Representative.
The Authorized Representative of an FNSA member school that is in good standing is eligible for the following:

  1. to attend and vote at the April 21st Annual General Meeting;
  2. to register at the discounted Authorized Representatives rate ($200); and
  3. to submit a claim for event travel expenses.

See the sample claim form with important travel claim policies on the reverse. Hotel will only be reimbursed to a max. of $205+tx per night, for necessary nights, and only for those based outside the Lower Mainland.

To update your school’s Authorized Representative or to assign a voting proxy, contact benjaminp@fnesc.ca. Please make those changes in advance of the conference.

Enjoying the Conference

Hybrid AGM

The FNSA Annual General Meeting is happening on the afternoon of April 21st. It is being offered both in-person and by Zoom. Authorized Representatives will receive further details.

Location, Parking and Transit

The conference venue is Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel, 7551 Westminster Highway, Richmond, BC (map).
Register your license plate for complimentary parking during the conference: Parking Registration
If you are taking the Canada Line, it is just an 8-minute walk from Richmond Brighouse Station to the Sheraton.

Sharing Table

Schools are invited to bring flyers/brochures about resources of interest to BC First Nations schools for our Sharing Table.

Health

Please stay home if you are feeling unwell. Only registered participants are eligible to attend. Family and friends cannot attend the event at any time, including for meals. The decision to attend in-person events is a personal one and it should be made in consideration of your individual risk factors and vulnerabilities.

Meals

Buffet breakfasts and lunches with a variety of food options are included. Please indicate any special dietary needs or allergies on your registration form.

Photography and Filming

This is a public event where photography and video-recording will take place. The images and recordings will be used by FNESC for promotional purposes. In case of questions, please contact fnsa@fnesc.ca.

Schedule (Draft)

Friday, April 21, FNSA Conference and AGM

7:30 AM Registration
7:45 AM Breakfast
8:50 AM Traditional Welcome, Chamiya-Janis Campbell, Squamish and Musqueam Nations
9:00 AM Opening Remarks, Aaron Burgess, FNSA President
9:10 AM Student Cultural Performance
9:30 AM Keynote, Michelle Good, Author of “Five Little Indians” and CBC Canada Reads 2022 winner
10:30 AM Break
11:00 AM Workshop Session 1
12:30 PM Lunch
1:30 PM Workshop Session 2
3:00 PM Break
3:30 PM FNSA Annual General Meeting
5:30 PM AGM Closes

Saturday, April 22, FNSA Conference

8:00 AM Registration & Breakfast
9:00 AM Opening of the Day
9:15 AM Keynote, Dr. Patricia Makokis, internationally-renowned speaker and educator
10:15 AM Break
10:30 AM Workshop Session 3
12:00 PM Lunch
1:00 PM Workshop Session 4
2:30 PM Break
2:45 PM Door Prizes and Reflections
3:15 PM End of the Day

Contact

Event Administrator
conference@fnesc.ca
Toll-free in BC: 1-877-422-3672