Verna J Kirkness Science and Engineering Scholarships

These scholarships cover travel, accommodation, and meals for students to spend one week in a lab in May working beside professors at the University of Manitoba and the University of Saskatchewan.  And this coming May 16-20, they will be offering 20 scholarships at UBC.  Here is the website for their foundation:  www.vernajkirkness.org

 Grade 11's are urged to to apply for these scholarships.  The deadline for applications is 31 January, 2016.

Aboriginal Student Transitions Handbook

Aboriginal Student Transitions Handbook

Check out this resource for Aboriginal students heading into post-seconary.

December at Pathways

FORED career resource

FORED presents their newest, complimentary online publication, First Choices First Nations 2015, showcasing current success stories and rewarding careers for Aboriginal youth in BC resource‐based industries.  This interactive resource is available at:

http://www.landscapesmag.com/students/pdf/FirstChoices_FirstNations_Fall2015_Interactive.pdf

November at Pathways

October at Pathways

Pathways Aboriginal Centre

For more information on Pathways Aboriginal Centre, please click here.

INFORMATION ON THE SUPPORT PROVIDED

The Aboriginal Child, Youth and Family Worker (ACYFW) is a partnership program with RYSA, the Richmond School District and Vancouver Coastal Health. The program works with the school district, counselors, community agencies, other service providers and RYSA to ensure that Aboriginal children, youth and families are supported to receive or access resources and assistance they require  to promote health and wellness, success at school and at home with respect and consideration of their diverse traditions, and culture.

Services include:

·       One to one support in school or out of school

·       Assistance with accessing services and supports in the community to meet individual/family needs

·       Goal setting and mentoring

·       Skill building activities

·       Cultural activities and exploration

·       Assistance resolving family challenges

·       Assistance with school issues or challenges

·       Recreation and social activities

·       Regular family nights

·       A resource and information newsletter

HOW TO CONTACT ME

Jelica Shaw

Child, Youth and Family Worker

Pathway’s Aboriginal Centre

Richmond Youth Service Agency

#110 – 7900 Alderbrige Way

604 271-7600 ext. 102

fx: 604 271-7626

e-mail: jelica.shaw@rysa.bc.ca

Back to School!

Welcome to the 2015-16 school year!  On behalf of the team in the Aboriginal Education Department in the Richmond School District, we are looking forward to working with you and your child this year.  The goal of the Aboriginal Education Department is to provide a level of support designed specifically for your child’s needs in mind in an inclusive setting where Aboriginal content is seamlessly integrated across the curriculum for the benefit of all students.

We are currently distributing permission forms to students with Aboriginal ancestry that will need to be signed in order for our students to participate in Aboriginal district program.  Please return these signed forms to your school's secretary.

CEDAR SUMMER CAMP

CEDAR SUMMER CAMP AT UBC

Every year, CEDAR Summer camp provides an opportunity for 45 local Aboriginal youth between the ages of 8-12 to explore UBC campus through fun and interactive programming.  For the last week in July, campers get a whirlwind tour of the wild and wacky research being conducted by students and researchers around campus.   They also take part in daily arts & crafts and outdoor recreational activities. All the while, campers learn about the wealth of post-secondary educational opportunities that exist right in their own backyard.  CEDAR programming focuses on balance and respecting the spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical parts of ourselves.  Activities will focus on confidence building, teamwork, and self-reflection to help campers realize their own potential both within and outside of the classroom.  There are also opportunities for Aboriginal youth to volunteer in this program!

This year Cedar camp will run for one week from July 20th to the 25th at the University of BC.

For more information please visit their website:

http://cedar.ubc.ca/

Pathways Powwow Dancers at the Stay in School Awards, 2015

UBC MATH CAMP FOR STUDENTS GOING INTO GRADE 8, 9, 10, WITH ABORIGINAL ANCESTRY

Dear parents/guardians:

Here is information about a math camp that will be offered this summer for students with Aboriginal ancestry.  Many of our students have gone in past years, and have found it to be an excellent experience, and a great preparation for math in September.  If your child would like to attend, but needs assistance in filling out the online form, please contact me at lmccoll@sd38.bc.ca.

Thanks,

Leanne

Details about the camp:

The Department of Mathematics, UBC, will be piloting a weeklong math enrichment camp targeted at Aboriginal students this summer.  This is the first (and only) call for participation in CMS/PIMS/UBC Math Camp. The camp will take place on the UBC Vancouver campus July 20 - July 24. 2015.

Who: For Aboriginal students entering grades 8 - 10 in September 2015.

Where: UBC Vancouver Campus

When: Daily from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm (breakfast and lunch are included)

Why: To promote advanced mathematics and scientific thought to future Aboriginal scholars. 

Registration is required before Wednesday, June 17th@11:59pm.

Website:  http://www.math.ubc.ca/~shawn/mathcamp

More details:

This math camp is designed for Aboriginal students who are currently in grades 7 through 9, and who have demonstrated a talent or interest for mathematics. The program's goal is to show the participants that math is an exciting discipline that is about seeing surprising deep patterns and creatively discovering new ideas, that mathematical concepts are both interesting for their own sake and applicable to real life situations.  This year's camp will feature presentations by an Aboriginal mathematician and astronomer.

Participation in the Camp is by advanced registration only, no later than Wednesday June 17th, 2015.  This can be done online by visiting:  http://www.math.ubc.ca/~shawn/mathcamp.

Successful applicants will be informed through their contacts by Friday June 26th, 2015.   The generous support from Pacific Institute of Mathematical Sciences (PIMS), the University of British Columbia (UBC), and the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) will enable us to cover the majority of the food, supplies and other costs. However, a registration fee of $50.00 will be necessary to offset some of the expense. 

Students traveling from remote locations or needing financial aid will be eligible for a registration fee reimbursement upon the completion of the Camp. Teachers are encouraged to ask their corresponding school district to cover the registration fees. Few such requests get turned down. 

The Camp is a day camp and hence all the participants will be responsible for finding their own accommodations if they are come from out of district.  We will be offering free shuttle service to and from Britannia Secondary School. 

Space is limited, so please apply early.   We are very excited about this new program and hope your students will join us here at UBC in July.

If you have any questions or need further details, please contact one of the organizers:

Shawn Desaulniers at shawn@math.ubc.ca

Kseniya Garaschuk at kseniya@math.ubc.ca

Sincerely, 

Shawn and Kseniya

—

Shawn Desaulniers, PhD

Department of Mathematics

University of British Columbia

—

Office: MATX 1112

Phone: 604.822.3044

Web: http://www.math.ubc.ca/~shawn 

National Aboriginal Day in Richmond, June 21, 2015

Canada Post Aboriginal Education Incentive Awards

IndigenEYEZ

IndigenEYEZ A Participatory Youth Leadership Program on The Land

UBCLC presents IndigenEYEZ is a First Nations-led initiative that aims to build the capacity of First Nations in BC to empower youth and build cultural connections.  Creative expression grounded in culture is key to unlocking our transformative capacity, supporting our healing journey, revitalizing our cultures, and returning to our traditional strengths. Kim Haxton and 6 youth will be sharing in the circle to show exactly how IndigenEYEZ  works. The program supports youth to see through “Indigenous eyes”, providing a powerful alternative to the lens of mainstream culture. This videoconference/webinar session will give some creative activities combined with cross cultural  systems for teaching. Universally it is said there are five ways to heal, music, dancing, storytelling, prayer/meditation, and connection to the natural world.

IndigenEYEZ has emerged from a collaborative relationship with Partners for Youth Empowerment (PYE). For almost two decades the Creative Community Model has been successfully implemented through PYE partner organization, Power of Hope Canada, Power of Hope USA, and in six other countries around the world. This arts-based social practice helps youth develop key life skills such as empathy and creativity that enable them to respond to our rapidly changing world. PYE trains facilitators who work with young people, helping them to create safe and nurturing environments in which young people feel able to share their creativity without fear of judgment. IndigenEYEZ provides training and capacity building support to youth practitioners across the province. We work in partnership with First Nations communities, youth serving organizations, and schools in order to facilitate deep-level youth engagement through a proven arts-based methodology called the Creative Community Model (CCM). External evaluation shows that young people who participate in programs based on CCM are more self-confident, more motivated to learn, and more likely to take on leadership roles within their schools and communities.

Our Work Is About Achieving The Following Outcomes:

➤ Improve the capacity of communities, youth serving organizations, and schools to effectively engage young people to develop vital skills for success through two training programs called Creative Facilitation 1 and Creative Facilitation 2.

➤ Increase access to transformative learning experiences for youth and help support their successful transition into adulthood through camps and workshops.

➤ Direct the design of new programs or implement special assistance to existing workshops, programs, and camps for youth.

Everyone is welcome to attend:

Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Time: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (PST)

Where: Participate live via videoconference OR computer webinar.
Click here to learn the difference between the two technologies.

Registration: Pre-registration is required to attend this free live event.

Kim Haxton (Faculty, Embodied Awareness Facilitator; Trainer, Educator and IndigenEYEz facilitator)

Kim Haxton is a Potowatomi, whose family is from Wasauksing First Nations. A skilled facilitator of indigenous spiritual healing practices and ceremony, Kim began her work as a First Nation’s Facilitator working for 17 years with Native youth impacted by colonization, including substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, family violence and family disruption, as part of Rediscovery Culture Camps. Kim’s community healing work emphasizes leadership development, embodied awareness and ‘betrayal-to-trust’ rites of passage, conflict resolution, de-escalation, de-colonization, diversity and anti-oppression training

Aboriginal Achievement Ceremony

Summer at Pathways

Rock Climbing Opportunity

Oskayak News

Poster contest FORED BC

To celebrate the rich cultural and heritage traditions of BC's Aboriginal people, FORED is sponsoring a poster contest with cash prizes for Aboriginal youth.  The theme is Traditional Knowledge and Medicine.

Deadline for poster submission is May 15, 2015.

For any questions on the poster event, please email education@foredbc.org.

Oskayak Times

Bursaries for Students with Aboriginal Ancestry

Native Education College

NEC Native Education College is  British Columbia's largest private Aboriginal College. Our institution exists to support aboriginal learners in a culturally rich environment with the support they need to achieve their educational goals in a way that respects their traditional values.

Some specific services we offer are:

• Academic and Financial Advising
• Personal Counselling & Family Violence Resource Centre
• Elders In Residence
• Practicum Placements/Hands-On Training 

 You can see our full program selection HERE.

For more information, please contact:

Marina McNeil

NEC Native Education College

285 E. 5th Avenue, Vancouver, BC  V5K 1H2

T: 604.873.3761 ext. 328

F: 604.873.1440

www.necvancouver.org

BC Scholarship Opportunities

See this link for a list of scholarship opportunities (primarily for BC residents) compiled by the Aboriginal Multi-Media Association.

http://www.ammsa.com/content/bc-scholarships

BC ABORIGINAL SWIM CAMP

The Aboriginal Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Partners Council is pleased to announce a BC Aboriginal SWIM Camp will be hosted on March 28th in Duncan, BC at the Cowichan Aquatic Centre in partnership with Cowichan Tribes.
 We are inviting Aboriginal youth (First Nations, Métis, Inuit), ages 6 to 17, who want to further develop their swimming skills and gain quality coaching and instruction in a safe, positive, fun and professional atmosphere to sign up and come on out and join us!    Whether you are simply interested in the sport of swimming and want to learn more on what it’s all about, or, you are already involved in an organized, competitive swimming program, come and learn from Leanne Sirup, Head Coach for Team BC for North American Indigenous Games and Head Coach of the Duncan Stingrays.  Leanne led the BC swim team to an incredible 65 medals win at NAIG! Two different sessions will be provided based on age groups: 9:30 am to 11:00 am  - Ages 6 to 1111:15 am to 12:45 pm  -  Ages 12 to 17 With the support of our partners, including the Province of BC, the camp is FREE!   Participants also receive a pair of goggles and a camp T-shirt. Advance registration is required. 
Contact Info:
Toni Williams
Cowichan Tribes
Toni.Williams@cowichantribes.com   
250-701-0682
 

Springtime at Pathways

Spring Break at Pathways

RBC ABORIGINAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP SCHOLARSHIP

Open to all Aboriginal youth aged 14-19, priority will be given to youth are are actively playing a leadership role within their community.  Designed to offer Aboriginal youth an opportunity to participate in Outward Bound, Canada's National Youth Leadership Scholarship Program.  This scholarship is best suited to those students who are interested and invested in participating in an Outward Bound wilderness experience.

For questions, please contact: Laura Hood, at laura_hood@outwardbound.ca

BC Aboriginal Youth Social Enterprise Contest, Deadline to apply February 20.

Aboriginal youth are finding ways to build better futures for themselves and their communities. Through social enterprise, Aboriginal youth can develop a way to earn a meaningful living while bringing a much needed service or product to their communities in a way that also helps their communities and/or the environment.

The BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres’ (BCAAFC) annual Gathering Our Voices Aboriginal Youth Conference (GOV) has partnered with Urban Matters to co-host an Aboriginal Youth Social Enterprise Contest. The Sauder School of Business Centre for Social Innovation & Impact Investing at UBC is the delivery partner for the contest. Vancity Credit Union and the Rina M. Bidin Foundation are also sponsoring partners.

This contest will highlight the social enterprises that Aboriginal youth are developing throughout BC and encourage other Aboriginal youth to develop businesses that help their communities. The contest concludes with public presentations from contest finalists March 17 to 20, 2015 at the GOV 2015 conference in Prince George, B.C.

This contest will highlight social enterprises that Aboriginal youth, ages 14 – 29, are developing throughout BC. There are three categories: existing social enterprises, concept social enterprises and youth innovator award. Two cash prizes ($1,000 - $6,000) and expert business support will be awarded to two people or groups from each category.Deadline to apply: February 20, 4:00 PM

For more details use the following URL:

http://www.bcaafc.com/initiatives/social-enterprise