User:Jmccrossin/sandbox

Shannen's Dream is a Canadian youth driven movement advocating for equitable education funding between on reserve schools funded by the Canadian federal government and off-reserve schools funded by provincial governments. In particular, it advocates for the building of safe and "comfy" schools in the many reserve communities that do not have proper elementary schools. The movement was named in honour of Shannen Koostachin, a young activist from the community of Attawapiskat and a nominee for the 2008 International Children's Peace Prize. Shannen died in a car accident at the age of 15 in 2010.

Shannen Koostachin
Shannen Koostachin was born in Attawapiskat First Nation on James Bay coast, Ontario to Andrew Koostachin and Jenny Nakogee. She attended J.R. Nakogee elementary school, which had been housed in makeshift portables since 2000, when it was condemned and closed due to a decades-old fuel leak. In 2007, the federal government backed away from a third commitment to building a real school for Attawapiskat’s children, and in response Shannen and others turned to Youtube and Facebook to launch the Students Helping Students campaign for a school for Attawapiskat. Shannen spoke out about the experiences of her community in newspapers, at conferences, and on the steps of Parliament Hill. In 2008, at the age of 14, she was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize. She and her older sister Serena moved hundreds of kilometres away from Attawapiskat, to New Liskeard, Ontario, for high school. She died on June 1, 2010 in a car accident.

Shannen's Dream Campaign
After Shannen's death, those who had participated in the Students Helping Students campaign wanted to continue Shannen's fight. Shannen's Dream was formed, and is one of many social justice campaigns carried out by the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society. Shannen's Dream is a student and youth focused campaign designed to raise awareness about inequitable funding for Aboriginal students, and encourages supporters to write letters to their MP, to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, and to the Prime Minister of Canada. To accompany this movement, Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus reintroduced Shannen's Dream as Motion 201 to the House of Commons of Canada on September 26, 2011. On February 27, 2012, the House of Commons unanimously voted in favour of the motion.