Prep For Success

Northern Lights College intends to assist Aboriginal students in preparation for success by creating and offering a two week half day summer transition to Post-Secondary education program. The initiative includes a wide range of workshops and cultural activities that co-create and support the development of a character of follow through, completion, and confidence in navigating the variety of situations that face First Nations students in post-secondary environments. The program’s goal is to empower each student to successfully and confidently make the transition into student life and thrive in the learning environment.
The program is facilitated by Aboriginal Coordinators and draws on the knowledge of visiting faculty, community leaders, and elders. Workshops provide college associated life skills in a healthy, multicultural, and highly supportive setting. The initiative is composed of four main components: financial management, building and sustaining connections, skills for success, and self care.
The financial component involves creating personal budgets and discussion on decision making around appropriate allocation of budgeted monies. There will also be an introduction to the local Financial Aid Coordinator and an overview of the application process for awards, bursaries, and scholarships. Students will be made aware of existing community and Provincial resources that can be drawn upon as Aboriginal students. (I.E. free breakfasts, rental subsidies, organizations that offer one time help).
Many Aboriginal students come from distant First Nations communities or smaller urban communities and are not familiar with the new surroundings. There is a component that focuses on students building connections within the student body, faculty, elders, and the larger outside community. Students will build a web of support and will be more likely to access services needed within the community if they are already familiar with the organization and their staff.
Skills for success is a more broad category as the skill levels of entering students will vary and some workshops may be necessitated by individual and collective interest that emerges. The workshops in this area may include but will not be limited to: time management, basic computer skills, introduction to power point, and writing workshops.
One important factor that contributes to a successful student experience is the level of self care that takes place. Students will be involved in learning skills to manage stress and will set up a self care plan that they can review with the Aboriginal Education Coordinator throughout the academic year. Also, there will be a focus on setting goals within each quadrant of the Medicine Wheel.Students will meet community elders and introduced to the culture of the territory.