Gabrielle Fiddler knows where her mom's and sister's graduation photos hang in the main hallway of R.B. Russell Vocational High School — but a year ago, she felt it was unlikely she'd earn her own cap and gown.

"I was someone who gave up right away, someone who was always scared to try new things, but now, I'm more open to it," the 17-year-old says.

Fiddler is part of the school's Morningstar Program, a voluntary system that helps connect students and their families to social services outside of class — and in the process, helps them graduate and hopefully climb out of the cycle of poverty many face.

"What kids need sometimes is larger than school," says Jackie Connell, the school principal.

"What they need is deeper and more complex than what a school necessarily has to offer, so instead of having to support a family and get to an appointment across the city four times a week, we're bringing supports to R.B. Russell."

Jackie Connell, principal at R.B. Russell Vocational High School, helped start the Morningstar program three years ago. (Jeff Stapleton/CBC)

The Morningstar program has a school psychologist, a tutor and a support worker, also known as a skaabe, which means helper in Ojibway. The three work with students who are in need of multiple interventions in areas such as justice, housing or health.

Students referred to the program (some students self-refer) also are connected with social supports such as the North Point Douglas Women's Centre, Mount Carmel Clinic, Addictions Foundation Manitoba and Child and Family Services. Students who are Indigenous have access to powwows, sweats and elder support.

Fills basic needs

Inner city schools have higher absenteeism rates than schools in other areas, the Winnipeg School Division says.

Students who get high school diplomas have a better chance of breaking the cycle of poverty, Connell said — and that's where the Morningstar Program comes in.

Hundreds of kids at R.B. Russell deal with poverty on various levels, Connell said.

"It's often not something that exists for a short period of time, then goes away," she said.

"The need here is chronic and pervasive and often intergenerational."

Debbie Capitano, the program's support worker, said she helps students fill basic needs, such as finding food to eat or a safe place to sleep each night.

Debbie Capitano is the Morningstar support worker, or skaabe, which means helper in Ojibway. (Jeff Stapleton/CBC News)

"I remember one time I asked a female student I was working with 'Why are you so tired? You should try to go to bed a bit earlier at night,'" Capitano said.

"Then I found out she was awake for the majority of the weekend because she had to protect her little sisters from getting raped in the house. That's the raw truth of what's happening."

While the school is unsure how many students have graduated thanks to the Morningstar Program, the program's tutoring centre helped 44 of the 66 graduates in the 2016-17 school year, staff said.

Fiddler plans to be one of those students this year. Since she started with Morningstar in September, she's received a lunch card to get a meal every day, a bus pass and regular visits with the psychologist.

Gabrielle Fiddler (right) studies algebra with a tutor at R.B. Russell Vocational High School. The Grade 12 student credits the Morningstar program for keeping her on track to graduate this spring. (Jeff Stapleton/CBC)

Before the program, there were times Fiddler didn't want to go to school because she was hungry, tired or had a conflict the day before and just didn't want to go, she said. Since she started regular visits with the school psychologist, she's seen a difference.

"I had, like, 68 absences last year in multiple classes, but now it's like 10 or 12, " she said.

"I have someone to talk to about personal issues now. I didn't really trust a lot of people before until I started talking to the psychologist. I didn't know how to help myself when I was having issues or getting mad. But she's helping me a lot on that."

No set future for program

Funding for the program has been unsteady since it started in 2014. At one point, there was enough funding from different partners to handle 40 students, but those deals have since dried up, and current funding is only enough to support 20 students.

A spokesperson for the Winnipeg School Division said the provincial Department of Families has not confirmed sustained funding for the program.

"A funding agreement is in place for the current school year until June 2018 and requests for further funding are being evaluated," a provincial government spokesperson said.

Connell said their past success shows how important this program is — not only for students, but for the province's long-term goals.

"I know that the province was recently was asking the question regarding ways or ideas people had to address poverty in the city of Winnipeg, and I'm sitting at R.B. Russell saying, 'Look at us,'" she said.

"We're doing it. We are reducing poverty."