The Indigenous student experience at Saskatchewan Polytechnic is at the heart of the Indigenous Student Success Strategy. Indigenous students should feel welcome, inspired and empowered, but most of all they should feel like Sask Polytech is a place where they belong.
Each of the Indigenous Student Success Strategy’s four goals—welcome, inspire, empower, belong—contribute to achieving this overarching objective and to improving the Indigenous student experience.
This month we want to share more information about our fourth and last goal: avik wiiyawow, which is the Michif word for belong, with them, to be part of them.
This starts with the relationships and bridges Sask Polytech builds with Indigenous students and their communities before they begin their studies. It continues with the networks Sask Polytech nurtures, so we learn from each other while Indigenous students are with us and after they have left to embark on their careers or further study. Throughout, Sask Polytech must focus on improving upon those elements of our institutional culture, processes and practices that can inhibit Indigenous student persistence and success.
Actions Sask Polytech is taking over the next five years to help Indigenous students feel they belong include:
- Develop close and trusted relationships with Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan, so we can respond to their specific educational concerns and needs.
- Establish an Indigenous role model program, so Indigenous students see themselves reflected in Sask Polytech’s people and graduates.
Indigenous students make up 19 per cent of Sask Polytech’s student population and this proportion is growing steadily each year. Sask Polytech supports Indigenous students through tutoring and counselling, assistance with scholarships and funding, summer transition programming, and access to Indigenous students’ centres to meet other students and Elders.
Learn more about the Indigenous Student Success Strategy goals:
For more information visit saskpolytech.ca/indigenous.