Award for Aboriginal Student Links
Nipissing University’s Aboriginal Student Links program has won a Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative Award from the Changemakers Initiative of Ashoka Canada.
The $1,000 award was selected from more than 266 entries. The Aboriginal Student Links program is one of only five projects to garner a Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative Award. The award is presented to the top entries pertaining to elementary and secondary classroom education in Canada.
Launched in 2010, Aboriginal Student Links (ASL) supports life-long learning through peer mentorship. Building on a twenty five year relationship with First Nation communities in the region, Nipissing University has endeavoured to develop programs and initiatives that respond to community goals. ASL is a terrific example of such collaboration that began with First Nations participation in the development and the program has now expanded to include working with two local school boards. ASL involves university students mentoring secondary school students to help ensure their successful transition into the next stage of learning. In turn, those secondary school students act as mentors to younger students in the intermediate grades. By working on a broad scale with a range of age groups, the program highlights the successes possible through ongoing peer mentorship.
The Changemakers Initiative is hosted by Ashoka Canada, a leading philanthropic and citizen sector organization in Canada. It aims to celebrate and acknowledge inspiring grassroots innovations that boost the success of First Nations, Métis and Inuit learners throughout their educational journey.
Funding for ASL is provided by the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities.
For more information about Ashoka Canada: http://canada.ashoka.org
Partners for the initiative include: the Ashoka Changemakers, Chagnon Foundation, The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, The Counselling Foundation of Canada, Donner Canadian Foundation, First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, The First Nations Education Council, The Girls Action Foundation, The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, Lawson Foundation, Mamow Sha-way-gi-kay-win: North South Partnership for Children, Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation, Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative, Ontario Trillium Foundation, RBC Foundation, Regroupement des centres d’amitié autochtones du Québec, Small Change Fund and Vancouver Foundation.