School District No. 57 (SD57) wants public feedback as it will be exploring a new name and visual identity.
SD57 says it wants to explore if its current 50-year-old logo and name still meet the needs of the district and is looking to gather feedback from its school communities.
The district’s current name, which is officially School District No. 57 (Prince George), actually encompasses four communities: Prince George, McBridge, Mackenzie, and Valemount, as well as, three First Nations: Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, McLeod Lake Indian Band, and the Simpcw First Nation.
The district says input from school community members will help SD57 and has launched a survey and formed an advisory working group to better understand if the current name and logo still meet the needs of the district.
"It’s important to know if the current name and identity resonate with the students, educators and prospective educators, and communities and Nations we serve," says Cindy Heitman, Superintendent.
“This survey will support our understanding of how representative it is and if we will move forward with the project.”
In 1971, School District 58 (McBride) amalgamated with School District 57 (Prince George) and the name wasn’t changed, even after a rural community consultation and recommendation in 2016.
The district is now considering a renaming and redesign project to better represent the students, communities and local First Nations it serves.
The project kicked off last week with the inaugural meeting of the advisory working group which is comprised of students, SD57 employees, CUPE, District Parent Advisory Council, Elders and Indigenous representatives, who will guide the project in collaboration with the district’s administrative team.
If the project proceeds, SD57 will embark on a collaborative community engagement and public participation process, through which SD57 will arrive at a new name and identity that is inclusive and reflective of its vision and mission.
Nearly a dozen districts in British Columbia have undergone rebranding projects in the past decade including the Quesnel School District (SD28) which unveiled its new visual identity in October of this year.
It featured the slogan “Together We Can” as well as illustrations by Raine Ravnborg, who is a staff member at SD28’s Barlow Creek Elementary School.
The SD57 survey is available online and will be running for two weeks through to Friday, Dec. 16.
