Aboriginal High School Mentorship Program
Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.
Jennifer
Wolters
Carleton University Centre for Initiatives in Education
Carleton University
, ON
Yes
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.
University, Technical Institute or College, Non-profit organization.
More than 5 years
CIE Aboriginal mentors are role models and academic/cultural coaches who assist students with coursework by offering learning strategies and practical advice.
Growth (the project is up and running and is starting to move forward)
• Share learning experiences and knowledge. The relationship between the students and mentors is reciprocal.
• Enhance and further develop cultural knowledge and understanding.
• Dispel confusion and false perceptions about post-secondary learning.
• Encourage students to consider different options after high school and motivate and guide them through the information that is available for post-secondary and/or career-oriented plans.
• Offer opportunities for post-secondary students to develop leadership, communication and solution-based skills in relation to others.
• Enable continual, and positive, role-modeling for Aboriginal youth.
To position Aboriginal high-school students and mentors for continued success by developing leadership potential.
We want to see an increase in the retention rate of Aboriginal students at the high schools which Carleton mentors are working, and increased understanding about the options available to students following high school. We also want to increase the number of mentors at the high schools and expand the program to the Wabano Centre where there is an active homework club for Aboriginal students. Finally, we wish for the high-school students who have been mentored to then give back to the community in a positive and meaningful way. One way in which this could be achieved is to track those students who have been mentored and if they attend Carleton, involve them in being mentors to the next group of Aboriginal high-school students.
CACE aims to:
• Increase the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal students, faculty and staff;
• Support academic achievement by Aboriginal members of the Carleton community;
• Provide space on campus where Aboriginal students’ cultures, traditions and worldviews are represented and respected; and
• Work collaboratively with Aboriginal communities and departments and groups on campus to provide exceptional programs and support services for Aboriginal students, faculty and staff.
Mentors are working at the Odawa Urban Aboriginal Alternative High School, which offers a fully Aboriginal curriculum in a holistic learning environment. The program has recently expanded to Rideau High School which has indentified a high population of Aborignal students.
Carleton University recognizes the historical and contemporary contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples to the development of Canada. Carleton will take a leadership role in Aboriginal teaching and research. This includes reaching out to Aboriginal communities, welcoming Aboriginal students to campus, promoting research on Aboriginal affairs and opening our curriculum to the inclusion of Aboriginal knowledge. This will be an important opportunity for Carleton, not only regionally and nationally, but indeed with indigenous communities around the globe. Future prospective partners include the Wabano Aboriginal Health Centre, Odawa Native Friendship Centre, Minwaashin Lodge, Tungasuvvingat Inuit, and local secondary schools where a significant number of Aboriginal students are identified.
In-kind contributions from CIE (staff/faculty time ; equipment; space), volunteers from Aboriginal community and from Carleton who contribute to the training workshop.
Rideau High School has provided funds for lunch club at our request.
Yes (answer the next two questions)
Comments
Hi! This is an interesting project. I like that there are connections between two schools in different parts of Canada. Can you tell me more about how the two schools partnered with each other? What are some of the activities in the partnership to ensure ongoing learning? What makes this an innovative and unique mentorship project?
Hello Carolyn, and thanks for the questions.
At present our partnerships are with two Ottawa schools, Rideau High School and the Urban Aboriginal Alternative High School. The partnerships are between the Centre for Initiatives in Education/the Centre for Aborginal Culture and Education and each school, however we are looking at ways to encourage joint activities between the two schools, particularly through cultural activities such as drumming.
The question of ongoing learning is profound and at least two-pronged: in the area of ongoing academic learning, for Aboriginal students to continue towards high school completion and some form of post-secondary education, the learning experience has to be positive. Our mentors provide tutoring and classroom assistance, helping students to overcome learning hurdles and experience positive associations with their schoolwork. They are also role models as Aboriginal youth who have overcome similar difficulties, have graduated from high school, and have gone on to higher education. They are always ready to answer students' questions and provide assistance in researching ongoing educational opportunities.
In the area of lifelong learning, our mentors organize and/or participate in social and cultural activities which hopefully the students will carry on in some form throughout their lives: talking circles, dancing, drumming, regalia making, camping trips, rock climbing excursions, other physical activities,fund-raising, and more. They organize lunches in one of the schools, which encourages students to feel more comfortable about asking for information about post-secondary or for academic support,which in turn creates positive feelings around being at school.
This program is unique in Ottawa, and the level of training/debriefing (weekly sessions and full-day sessions at the start of each semester) is extensive. Because these are paid student positions, our mentors are able to dedicate considerable time and energy to mentoring activities, and are able to help support themselves while making this significant contribution to local youth. Our assisting teachers in each school report that the mentors make a significant contribution to programming and support.
I hope this helps to answer your questions, and would be pleased to elaborate on any aspect of the program.
Best regards
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