Board by board, these First Nations students are building futures with a new carpentry program

In a carpentry workshop at a private school near Maskwacis, Alta., Kascey Crier puts the finishing touches on a black skateboard she has built herself.

The words "Skateboarding is not a crime" are spelled out in block letters across the bottom of the board.

"It's probably the first year I'm actually excited about school," Crier, 16, said in an interview last week. "There's a reason for it now."

Carpentry is helping Crier and other high school students carve out new paths for themselves at Mamawi Atosketan, a K-12 Seventh-day Adventist school that serves First Nations students.

The private school is in central Alberta's Ponoka County, about nine kilometres southwest of Maskwacis.

The optional dual-credit carpentry program recently launched at Mamawi Atosketan allows students to earn a year toward their professional carpentry designation before graduation.

Dual-credit programs are designed to help students make transitions to post-secondary education or the workplace, according to Alberta Education.

For Crier, the carpentry program has already changed her view on school — and opened her eyes to life's possibilities.

Where she says she once had a bad attitude, she now sits at the front of the class listening attentively to her teacher. 

Assisting classmates with their projects has earned Crier the title of peer mentor. She has also won a spot on the school's honour role.

As another student's drill whirred in the background, Crier talked about her future. She plans to build her own home, renovate her kokum's house and launch a business building skateboards.

She praises her teacher, Jonathan Belinsky, a certified teacher and Red Seal carpenter.

"He's a genuine person, a caring person and someone who just helps you get through school and motivates you," Crier said. "Not a lot of teachers motivate me to keep going every day."

Belinsky arrived at the private school last year, ready to help students overcome their challenges and shine. Many of the kids' loved ones have died too soon. Some are in provincial care.