Making Space for Future Indigenous Post-Secondary Students
Recruiters set up their tables in the Salmon Arm Secondary Library in anticipation of students attending their Indigenous Post-Secondary Fair.
SD83 Indigenous and other students are learning more about the educational options available to them in BC once they graduate from Grade 12. A group of Indigenous recruiters from eight post-secondary institutions (PSI) from BC and Alberta are travelling to the district's high schools this week to talk about the academic, trades and technical programs they host. Recruiters from Okanagan College, University of BC's Medical School, Thompson Rivers University, University of Northern BC, University of Alberta, Native Education College, University of Victoria and the RCMP met with Salmon Arm students at SAS and JL Jackson today. Tomorrow, they are travelling to AL Fortune in Enderby and Eagle River in Sicamous before they visit Pleasant Valley Secondary students in Armstrong Thursday morning.
TRU Indigenous Recruiter Sammie Hanson coordinates the event with other PSI recruiters. Now in its third year, 'Strengthening Connections' has expanded from four PSI's in its first year to as many as 14 this year touring the Okanagan, Shuswap, Caribou/Chilcotin, Kootenays and Vancouver Island. Hanson says these events are working as Thompson Rivers University has seen a 14 percent increase in indigenous students from the Shuswap enrolled at their campus compared to last year. Hanson credits that increase in part to indigenous recruiters making specific attachments with indigenous youth. "I think many institutions realize they have supports to offer indigenous students and those students and communities are responding." Hanson says there's also been growth in other indigenous students attending other schools. She says at least 12 percent of TRU's student body have self-declared themselves as indigenous.
Last month, many other BC PSI recruiters visited the district's high schools in a single event open to all students. Hanson said the deliberate act of reconciliation that SD83 is doing with these institutions in having this specific event for indigenous youth are critical for those young people.
"There are a lot of barriers in Indigenous communities. Going from any community to a bigger city is hard for anyone let alone the challenges indigenous youth generally face," said Hanson. "So, facilitating more of their needs in more of a one-on-one approach will make them more comfortable to consider a higher education option."
TRU Recruiter Sammie Hanson poses by her booth. She has spearheaded this growing initiative in the province for the past three years.
A reminder this is BC Career Education Week. There are many events taking place in SD83 including two student events on Green Careers in Forestry Wednesday morning and Massage Therapy Careers on Thursday morning. If you wish to learn more, please visit our website at career.sd83.bc.ca. If you have any great ideas for career activities or want to learn more about other opportunities, don't hesitate to contact District Career Education Coordinator George Richard via text or phone at 778-824-1188 or you can email grichard@sd83.bc.ca.