About the community
Lax Kw’alaams is an Indigenous village community in BC, not far from the city of Prince Rupert. It is located on Port Simpson Indian Reserve No. 1.
In the community, the Coast Tsimshian Academy provides classrooms for 26 kindergarten students and 156 students in Grades 1 to 12. The school is a beautiful, two-storey, building of 2,000 m², tailored to the needs of the community. With a large, state-of-the art kitchen, and well-thought-out design and layout, the school is also a place for large groups of people to gather.
The school has spaces to learn home economics, industrial arts, and cultural activities. All classrooms have taken into account the needs of learners today, including electronic and spatial needs, as well as the relationship between teacher and student. There are also central gathering spaces connected to other common social areas, and quiet spaces to allow for more intimate learning opportunities.
The school is designed so it could be expanded to meet long-term projections of 175 to 200 students. As economic development projects in the area get underway, community members living elsewhere could return to Lax Kw’alaams. The school welcomes their children and youth to the community with its successful model for educating.
About the library
Write to Read BC installed its 11th library here by partnering with Academy of Lax Kw’alaams to expand its library offerings. The Rotary Club of Mission Sunrise was its sponsor.
