Education

10 Winnipeg Free press - saturDaY, December 6, 2014 ���������������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������������������������������������������������� InspiringMusicians likeNataliesince 1906. VisitBrandonU.ca/Music By Holli Moncrieff For the Free Press S everal of Winnipeg's universities and colleges are addressing the unique needs of First Nations students. "A lot of our Aboriginal Focus programs are focused on transitions — making sure students have the counselling and tutoring services they need to make a successful transition to university," said Gary Hepburn, Dean of Extended Education at the University of Manitoba. "What we've found is that a lot of background work needs to be done with agencies and communities to support students and programs." Hepburn says that many First Nations students are eager to provide services in their communities. This could be the reason that one of the university's most popular Aboriginal Focus programs is a diploma in Child and Family Services. The university's Young Warriors Program is designed for a group of 25 indigenous men who wish to move into post-secondary studies. The program's vision is to train men in the physical, mental and spiritual spheres, developing their moral character to produce high-quality leaders. "Young Warriors directly addresses some of the issues young aboriginal men face when they come to the university, and does it in a respectful way," Hepburn said. "We're very excited about it. We have high hopes for it." The university is also striving to encourage more First Nations youth to pursue careers in math and science-related fields. "We had an indigenous math and science symposium over the summer. We're putting minds together to figure out how to properly approach this area," said Hepburn. "There needs to be a bridge between indigenous ways of knowing and mainstream science and math." The Asper School of Business runs an Aboriginal Business Leadership program that is tailored to First Nation communities. "Aboriginal organizations tend to have a triple bottom line — profit, people, and planet," said Subbu Sivaramakrishnan, Associate Dean for the Asper School of Business. "Concern for environment and concern for community can be as important as maximizing profit." While the courses in business fundamentals remain the same, other components of the program are customized. "Aboriginal business studies take into account the idiosyncrasies of the aboriginal community," Sivaramakrishnan said. "There is an emphasis given to the environment that may be different than what you'd find at other companies. The finance opportunities may also be different." Yellowquill College offers a full roster of programs that are of special interest to First Nations students, including the First Nations Management and Administration program, First Nations Child & Family Services Worker Experience, and Aboriginal Business and Entrepreneurship. coLLeges, universities focused on aBoriginaL Learning "We try to empower people wherever they go," said Lyle Plett, Co-ordinator for the First Nations Management and Administration program. "Some of our students aren't necessarily planning on living on the reserve. Some of the First Nations population is urban-oriented as well." Most of Yellowquill's programs integrate aboriginal history into the curriculum. The Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council established Yellowquill College in 1984, and the school continues to be First Nations owned and operated. "Yellowquill is a very unique institution. We have house Elders, and it's a far more inclusive environment. We believe in empowerment through knowledge and learning," Plett said. "We recognize our students as whole people who are here to learn and to grow. This place isn't a factory." The First Nations Management and Administration program is the school's original First Nations Governance program. The two-year diploma program teaches students how to manage a reserve or off- reserve system. "A lot of our graduates go into positions on the reserve. One of them just got elected as chief. Some used it as a stepping stone for further education — one of our students went on to get their Masters in Child and Family Services," said Plett. The Aboriginal Business and Entrepreneurship program has been particularly popular, he adds. "Aboriginal women are really progressive when it comes to entrepreneurship," said Plett. "We're encouraging aboriginal people to get back into the entrepreneurial spirit." The Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology (MITT) has several programs that are designed to connect First Nations people to jobs in the manufacturing industry. "We offer trades training for folks from Peguis First Nation and Fisher River First Nation," said Greg Scheelar, MITT's Workforce Development Consultant. "Participants in these programs work as students at the shop of one of the supporting companies, learning to do production welding. This course will lead directly to jobs for them." ● Janaya Koberstein teaches a math class at Yellowquill College. Photo by Darcy Finley

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