VIU Only Canadian Institution to Receive Funding through President Obama's 100,000 Strong Innovation Fund

100,000 Strong in the Americas will fund exchange opportunity for Indigenous high school students at California’s Pitzer College and VIU 

Vancouver Island University (VIU) is the only Canadian university to receive funding through the US State Department’s 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund after a proposal submitted to the organization with California’s Pitzer College was successful. The funding will be used to bring two established Indigenous mentorship programs together for the benefit of high school students.

VIU’s Su’luqw’a’ Community Cousins and Pitzer College’s Native Youth to College programs are joining forces to increase Aboriginal student access and retention in post-secondary education by launching a cross-border mentorship exchange program for Indigenous youth.

The project was launched thanks to core funding provided by the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative, which is US President Barack Obama's signature education project to increase the number of US students studying in the Western Hemisphere to 100,000, and the number of Western Hemisphere students studying in the United States to 100,000 by 2020.

“What we are trying to do goes beyond the standard approach to academics. We are drawing on Native North American post-secondary scholars and Elders to work together to contribute cultural knowledge and traditional ways of learning within an academic environment,” said VIU Aboriginal Projects and Elder Support Coordinator, Sylvia Scow. “Current post-secondary students from both our institutions will mentor high school students with input and guidance from our Elders. The high school students will experience an Aboriginal culture other than their own and through it all they will be exploring key issues facing Indigenous communities like climate change, fisheries and community development.”

Scott Scoggins is the Director of Pitzer College’s Native American Youth to College program. The idea to partner with VIU took shape when he was at VIU this summer to attend the Indigenous Knowledge and Portfolio Dialogue Sessions that took place at Nanaimo campus. That was when Scoggins and VIU Director of Aboriginal Education Dr. Sharon Hobenshield began exploring the idea of partnering on an exchange program.

“When I came to VIU I really connected with how Indigenous Studies programming was being delivered. What was happening at VIU was exciting and I could see how it complemented where we were going with our programming. When Sharon said she wanted to apply for this grant with us we said ‘absolutely’ and a beautiful partnership was formed,” said Scoggins.  

Pitzer’s Native Youth to College program supports high school students transitioning to college by building critical thinking skills and strengthening self-esteem. Scoggins points out that the mentorship exchange they are planning supports their mandate in many ways, starting with the involvement of Elders from both countries.

“This isn’t just an exchange of students, but of mentors as well. It means students from both programs can come together to gain insight and knowledge not only from each other but also from the participating Elders whose vast cultural and traditional knowledge offers our students a whole new way of looking at things and learning about the world,” said Scoggins.

Hobenshield says in the future they will be looking at developing a version of Pitzer’s Native Youth to College transition program at VIU and Pitzer is keen to incorporate VIU’s Indigenous portfolio curriculum into their summer program. 

“Many Indigenous students, due to assimilation and related historical injustices, have not had opportunities to pursue their academic aspirations outside of their community. Giving them the chance to study in a new community and country builds confidence and encourages further engagement with the external world,” said Hobenshield. “This new initiative proposed by both VIU and Pitzer has the potential to expand learning opportunities, enrich the educational experience and make tremendous contributions to these students, their communities and both countries through a targeted, culturally appropriate and enriching experience.”

The first student exchange is scheduled to occur with VIU and Pitzer College student mentors as well as high school students and Elders from each country in the summer of 2017.   

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Dane Gibson, Communications Officer, Vancouver Island University

P: 250.740.6288 | C: 250.618.7296 | E: Communications@viu.ca |  T: @viunews