UNews - Mastercard Foundation

Indigenous students and alumni realizing the benefits of mentorship program

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 20:14:55 +0000

The Dhillon School of Business Scotiabank Mentors Program achieved a significant milestone recently when it celebrated 10 years of making a difference in the lives of Indigenous students and alumni.

“There's something truly special about being able to play a role, however small, in someone else's journey of self-discovery and personal growth,” says mentor Aysha Partington (BA/BEd ’24), a 2024 Spring Convocation graduate who came to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge from Woodland Cree Nation.

Maria Livingston, left, and Aysha Partington.

“From the initial stages of building trust and rapport to the moments of breakthrough and achievement, every interaction with my mentees has been filled with mutual learning and growth. Their willingness to step out of their comfort zones, tackle obstacles head-on and embrace new opportunities has taught me the importance of courage, perseverance and the power of resilience.”

The program is part of ULethbridge’s Indigenous student support system and funded by Scotiabank and the MasterCard Foundation EleV Program. In its 10 years in existence, it has seen more than 45 mentors and 100 mentees benefit from its activities, and includes participation from Indigenous middle, high school and university students and alumni.

“After having the program run for so long, we’re now seeing the results of being consistent in its offering,” says Maria Livingston (BA '15), ULethbridge’s Indigenous Youth Mentorship Program coordinator. “I’d say that seeing the larger impact of how these smaller activities add up to bigger goals is the greatest success of the program. Supporting the mentees’ goals and encouraging them to reach their full potential is really what this program is all about.”

All program activities are free for mentors and mentees and include everything from beading, hand drum making and hoop dancing to pizza parties, bowling and axe throwing.

For Partington, joining the program was an easy decision, one she says was driven by a desire to be the mentor she never had.

“I saw it as an opportunity to provide the kind of support and guidance that I longed for growing up. By sharing my experiences, offering advice and serving as a role model, I hope to empower Indigenous youth to navigate similar challenges with resilience and pride in their cultural heritage,” she says.

“By investing in the next generation of leaders, thinkers and changemakers, the program ensures the continued growth and prosperity of the community for years to come. The relationships formed through mentorship extend far beyond the duration of the program, creating a ripple effect of positive influence that reverberates throughout the community.”

Livingston says the program’s achievements can, in large part, be attributed to the contributions and commitment of Rhonda Crow, the Indigenous Governance and Business Management (IGBM) program coordinator and Andrea Amelinckx, IGBM’s Area Chair.

“Rhonda’s and Andrea’s leadership and wisdom have been pivotal in making this program successful. It wouldn’t have been possible without their support.”

Moving forward in a good way, EleV Navigator Team given Blackfoot name

trevor.kenney — Tue, 10 May 2022 21:07:28 +0000

The EleV Navigator Team earned a significant honour Tuesday at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, helping set the stage for the important work they will soon begin in the Blackfoot communities of Kainai, Piikani and Siksika.

Seeking to set the paths of the EleV Navigators forward in “a good way”, Blackfoot Elders Francis First Charger and Cathy Hunt advised for the EleV Navigator Team to receive a Blackfoot name as a true honour to welcome them into their roles as community liaisons. On Tuesday, First Charger bestowed the name Iiksitawapa Akakatsiyiwa (Going All Out Society) on the EleV Navigator Team.

During the ceremony, First Charger described how they arrived upon the name and how impressed he was with the navigator team.

“When we talked with them, I could see they have a lot of enthusiasm, their hearts are in the right place, and they are a very diverse group. Now that the six of them are working together they are like a family. The name is hard to translate but when I look at this group, I see they have a lot of fire in them and I see them going all out.”

Shanda Webber, ULethbridge manager of strategic Indigenous learning initiatives, says the ceremony carries great significance in Blackfoot culture.

“Receiving a Blackfoot name is a great honour, and also bears a great responsibility,” says Webber. “Every name has a meaning. Every name has a story. And once bestowed that name, it is now the individual or group who carry that name to hold true to the meaning and story of the name. I know the navigator team will hold our new name in high regard and honour our role in community.”

The EleV Navigator Team receives its Blackfoot name.

Established in late 2019, EleV is an innovative partnership between the Blackfoot Confederacy, ULethbridge and the Mastercard Foundation established to create educational opportunities for Indigenous youth and bolster supports to ensure their success.

The EleV Navigator Team consists of six dedicated navigators, of which one education and one employment navigator is dedicated to each of the respective Blackfoot Communities of Kainai, Piikani and Siksika. The primary focus of the EleV Navigator Team is to enhance opportunities for authentic relationship building and provide in-community supportive services and communication to guide Indigenous learners along their education and career pathways.

“Grounded in our Indigenous teachings and ways of knowing, our navigator team understands that everyone in the community plays an important role in assisting youth to navigate their way to post-secondary and beyond,” adds Webber. “Navigators are the community liaisons, the advisors and co-creators who will be working with community to make sure their voices and priorities are heard. They will help forge a path where we can work together for the success of our students.”

The Tuesday naming ceremony featured an offer of prayers with pipe, followed by the giving of the Blackfoot name, a praise song from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Special Advisor to the President, Dr. Leroy Little Bear (BASc (BA) ’72, DASc ’04), and a celebratory feast.

Dr. Mike Mahon, ULethbridge president and vice-chancellor, says as we move out of the pandemic there is significant momentum behind the EleV partnership as it reengages with the Blackfoot communities.

“From the outset, EleV was designed to work in partnership with the Blackfoot Nations to ensure the program continues to meet the unique needs of Blackfoot youth and communities,” says Mahon. “The navigators play a crucial role in this process of relationship building and it’s exciting from my perspective to see this team beginning to fully immerse into community to assist students as they further their education. Their work is also supporting the creation of employment and economic development opportunities through the sharing of connections and resources with the Blackfoot Confederacy.”

The navigators will begin their work in the Blackfoot communities through a series of meet-and-greet sessions beginning next week and continuing into June, buoyed by a new name that aptly captures their significant place in the EleV program.

Upcoming Sessions include:

Meet the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge EleV Team
Building Community Connections within the Blackfoot Confederacy

Kainai Nation Event

Wednesday, May 18, 2022
5 p.m. (Doors open at 4:30)
Multi-Purpose Building

For more information, please contact:
Jill Chief Calf, jill.chiefcalf@uleth.ca or
Trent Frank, trent.frank@uleth.ca

Piikani Nation Event

Thursday, May 19, 2022
5 p.m. (Doors open at 4:30)
Piikani Secondary School

For more information, please contact:
Deserae Yellow Horn, d.yellowhorn@uleth.ca or
Verona White Cow, verona.whitecow@uleth.ca

Siksika Nation Event

Coming in June, details to be announced

For more information, please contact:
Leroy Wolf Collar, leroy.wolfcollar@uleth.ca
Ek-Kanakii Mekaisto, kanakii.mekaisto@uleth.ca

New partnership with Influence Mentoring creates innovative mentoring program for Indigenous students

trevor.kenney — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 17:36:26 +0000

Indigenous students at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will have the opportunity to connect with Indigenous and non-Indigenous professionals across a range of career paths thanks to a new partnership between ULethbridge and the Influence Mentoring Society.

The program is an online initiative that pairs interested Indigenous students who are committed to achieving their career goals with professionals in a protégé/mentor relationship. In addition, the mentoring partnerships are integrated with strategies and projects including workshops and bootcamp-style and other experiential learning sessions that are safe, inclusive and culturally aware.

“We are truly excited to launch this new partnership with Influence Mentoring,” explains Shanda Webber, manager of Strategic Indigenous Learning Initiatives for the EleV Project at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. “This innovative program will allow Indigenous students from ULethbridge the opportunity to build genuine relationships with dedicated mentors in the field of their study that will ultimately lead to building capacity, talent and enhancing future career opportunities. As well, the partnership will contribute to a foundation of knowledge and mutual respect between industry and Indigenous students, thus helping to create a more equitable and inclusive work environment.”

The vision of Influence Mentoring is to work collaboratively, across cultures, to create better opportunities for Indigenous post-secondary students throughout their post-secondary careers, and to create measurable opportunities for reciprocal mentoring, in the spirit of reconciliation, to increase awareness of Indigenous culture, history and issues.

“Traditionally, mentorship has played an important role in the Indigenous community,” says Influence Mentoring Society Chairperson, Colby Delorme. “Culture, traditions, spirituality, teachings, and stories have all been shared and best understood through the Elder and protégé relationship. This transference of knowledge has been integral to Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Influence Mentoring is built on this foundation.”

Since the receipt of seed funding from actors and philanthropists Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively as well as additional support from RBC and a family foundation, the Influence Mentoring program has been successful in collaborating with several notable and national organizations to provide one-on-one and group mentorship to post-secondary Indigenous youth in a variety of industries and sectors.

This national program will match a mentor with an Indigenous student for one academic year, with the opportunity for the student to match with the same or other mentors in the same industry for each year of their educational journey.

“With the mentorship program occurring simultaneously over the full academic year, Indigenous students will have extra supports and guidance to assist them in achieving success,” adds Webber. “The approach is also holistic in nature, ensuring our next generation of leaders has access to the tools and resources necessary for a successful life of community service, family-building and personal fulfillment.”

When EleV was established in 2019, programs such as these were at the heart of its mandate.

“The Influence Mentoring program is a prime example of what the EleV project is all about — creating opportunities for Indigenous learners to be full partners in their education and journey to meaningful work,” says Webber.

A virtual information session for ULethbridge Indigenous students took place today, with future Influence Mentoring information workshops to be announced shortly. Indigenous students who are interested in becoming a protégé are encouraged to apply online at Protégé Application: influencementoring.com.

About Influence Mentoring

Influence Mentoring is an Alberta society governed by a volunteer Board of Directors with substantial experience working with Indigenous communities and across the not-for-profit and corporate sectors.

Influence is a collaborative organization whose goals are to create better opportunities for Indigenous post-secondary students, and to create opportunities for mentors to raise their awareness of Indigenous issues, culture, and history. The Influence Mentoring program itself is a new initiative aimed at building capacity, talent, and career opportunities for eligible Indigenous students, who are committed to achieving their career goals. This innovative program is delivered through an online platform thereby allowing protégés and mentors to participate in the mentoring program from anywhere in Canada.

About EleV

Established in late 2019, EleV is an innovative partnership between the Blackfoot Confederacy, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the Mastercard Foundation established to create educational opportunities for Indigenous youth and bolster supports to ensure their success.

The tri-partnership includes four overarching objectives:

Build pathways and enhance access to post-secondary education for prospective indigenous students
Enhance supports to increase indigenous student success at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge
Leverage current academic and research programming, and infrastructure to build connections between education and economic opportunity linked employment
Support the development of employment and economic development opportunities through the sharing of connections and resources to balance the principles and visions of the Blackfoot confederacy, and aspirations of the individual nations and aspirations of the individuals

New partnership to tackle education barriers for Indigenous youth and support economic opportunities

caroline.zentner — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 16:36:22 +0000

A unique and innovative partnership between the Blackfoot Confederacy, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the Mastercard Foundation will support and enable Indigenous youth to achieve their goals and become leaders in their communities.

This transformational initiative will create new opportunities for Indigenous, primarily Blackfoot, youth to access education, and the needed supports to be successful resulting in employment, economic inclusion and economic development opportunities within their communities.This initiative will also support the U of L in deepening its commitment to reconciliation, providing an inclusive campus environment, and working in partnership with the Blackfoot Confederacy.

The Mastercard Foundation is investing $15 million over the next five years to improve transitions to post-secondary and increase student success, increase work integrated learning opportunities (co-op placements for example) and entrepreneurship supports, and create partnerships and programs that lead to employment opportunities for Blackfoot youth, as well as supporting Blackfoot Nations in realizing their economic development aspirations.

“This partnership joins our EleV initiative and builds on existing strong partnerships between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the Blackfoot Nations. Our work together will support new pathways for Indigenous youth through education and onto employment, strengthening their communities and generating lasting change. The partnership underscores our commitment to support Indigenous youth and communities leading innovation reflective of their values and aspirations,” says Jennifer Brennan, head, Canada Programs at Mastercard Foundation.

Beginning in Fall 2020, the program will launch new initiatives for children and youth to see post-secondary education as a real possibility for them by delivering programs in Blackfoot communities, as well as creating opportunities for students to participate in activities at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. In addition, the Indigenous Student Success Program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will receive funding to enable an additional 30 Blackfoot and Indigenous students to attend the U of L.

“Indigenous students face significant barriers in accessing post-secondary education, including transportation, housing and childcare, among others,” says Dr. Leroy Little Bear (BASc (BA) ’72, DASc ’04), Distinguished Niitsitapi Scholar and advisor to President Mike Mahon. “This partnership will empower Indigenous youth by removing these kinds of barriers, creating new educational pathways and growing the supports needed by Indigenous students to be successful in their post-secondary studies. In turn, this will enhance employment and economic inclusion and drive economic development opportunities in our Blackfoot communities.”

For recent U of L graduate Sarah Russell (BA ’19), the holistic approach of the EleV program creates a pathway for success.

“Our youth need to know from when they begin their education that there is a place for them here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ,” she says. “The earlier they are exposed to the opportunities a post-secondary education provides, the greater the chance they will set that as an achievable goal. If this program can do that, our communities will prosper as a result.”

Blackfoot Nations and the U of L will work collaboratively to ensure the program is structured to meet the unique needs of Blackfoot youth and communities. Relationships will be at the heart of the project, and its activities will be focused on the Blackfoot values of kindness, respect, honesty and strength. The Mastercard Foundation’s values of humility, listening, co-creation and impact will further guide the design of program activities.

“We are excited about this partnership and look forward in working collectively with the MasterCard Foundation and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to build programs that benefit our youth and communities,” says Stanley Grier, Chief of the Piikani Nation. “We look to our Blackfoot youth to be our future leaders and this program will be instrumental for their journey.”

Funding from the program will also be directed toward enhancing Indigenous student services with the hiring of a program director as well as a number of support roles. These positions include both education and economic development navigators in each of the Blackfoot communities, mental health support, instructors and program development and funding to increase Elder support, among others. As the program continues through future years, funds will be allocated to support access to post-secondary education, student success and financial supports, education and training aligned with Blackfoot community needs, employment and economic development opportunities, work integrated learning and more.

“At every turn, we will focus our attention on what the needs of the individual communities are and, through a collaborative approach, create partnerships and programs that lead to employability and employment opportunities for Blackfoot youth, as well as economic development initiatives for Blackfoot communities,” says Mahon. “We will only achieve success by involving all of our partners and truly understanding the challenges they face.”

http://www.ulethbridge.ca/first-nations-metis-inuit/elev

Check out our Flickr gallery for more event photos.

UNews - Mastercard Foundation

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