Submitted by Tahayghen Elementary School--Tahayghen is launching a new Winter Activities program thisyear, thanks to generous grants from Gwaii Trust and Success By Six.We have hired eight talented instructors from the community to mentorour students in the following skills: Bentwood Box Making (Cecil Brown), Surfing (Nate Jolley), Pottery (Barb Lawrence), Aikido (TobySanmiya), Carving (Cori Savard), Photography (Jason Shafto), Cedar Weaving (Dorcas White), and Haida Design (Frank Williams). Studentsin grades 4-7 have each chosen one workshop in which to participate for the duration of this program, which will run one day a week for six weeks, starting Jan. 20.With the opportunity to focus on a skill of their choosing, students will explore something new. The goal of the program is to broaden their horizons and allow them to succeed under the mentorship of skilled community members and their teachers. This primarilyarts-based program will allow students to think more openly, to see the connections across disciplines, and to embrace and respect the creative process. By employing community members to teach theirskills in school, we hope to foster cooperation, culturalunderstanding, and trust. Students will have an opportunity to buildself-confidence and create relationships with the greater community, making education what it really should be: a community affair.Upon completion of the program, Tahayghen will host an exhibition where students will showcase their new skills. The public will be invited.