On Monday, December 15 Parkland College signed the Indigenous Education Protocol for Colleges and Institutes. It is a new initiative created by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) to support colleges in their commitment to the education of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students.
The Indigenous Education Protocol outlines how colleges can strive to improve their practices and better serve Aboriginal peoples. The Protocol underscores the importance of removing barriers to education and supporting self-determination and socio-economic development of Indigenous communities.
“As key providers of applied post-secondary education for Indigenous communities, colleges recognize that they have important responsibilities and obligations to Indigenous education,” said Denise Amyot, President and CEO of CICan. “This protocol encourages our members to be more inclusive of Indigenous cultures and even more proactive in finding ways to create success.”
CICan developed the Protocol over the last year through consultations with college and institute representatives from across Canada. Lydia Cyr, Chairperson of the Parkland College Board of Governors, signed the document Monday in Yorkton, along with Amyot and representatives from First Nations in the Parkland Region.
“A key priority of our Strategic Plan is working with Aboriginal communities to improve enrolment, graduation rates, and employment rates,” said Parkland College President Dr. Fay Myers. “A prosperous future depends on building these kinds of partnerships. This is another big step forward.”
About Parkland College:
Since its inception in 1973, Parkland College has worked to expand the philosophy of life-long learning in East Central Saskatchewan. Among the seven basic principles upon which the community college system was founded is the idea that programs are to be developed in response to the needs of the community. Today, Parkland College offers a broad spectrum of educational services from trades training and high school upgrading to the province’s most diverse off-campus university offerings.
