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Sharing the Flame recognized effective practices in four key areas in 2007:
Recognizes programs incorporating the foundational principles of Aboriginal learning —place, spirit and language—to enhance learning opportunities and outcomes.
The Vision Seekers Initiative arose in response to widespread issues of academic failure and difficulty in making the transition to secondary education and employment. Initiated as a way of improving the lives of children on the reserves served by West Region Child and Family Services, Inc. (Erickson, Manitoba), the Skownan Model has now evolved as an example of multi-level educational partnerships in a rural Aboriginal community.
The Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute (CILLDI) at the University of Alberta, works to preserve endangered languages, especially in the Canadian context. It does this by developing the language expertise and research skills of the speakers of the languages.
For the past 22 years, Nunavut Sivuniksavut (NS) has delivered a unique post-secondary educational program in Ottawa that has played a pivotal role in preparing Inuit youth from Nunavut for further post-secondary education and/or entry into the labour force. Incorporated as an independent non-profit educational institution, NS courses are accredited by Algonquin College.
Research shows that Aboriginal students have unique educational needs that may be better served in an all-Aboriginal classroom setting. The multiple intelligences of First Nation, Métis and Inuit students and the unique cultural and socioeconomic histories are best served in an environment that is both understanding and safe. The Ravens program in G.P. Vanier in the Comox Valley (School District #71, Aboriginal Education Services, Courtenay, B.C.) attempts to provide a safe and academically challenging program for students of native ancestry.
BEAHR is a sector council partnership project between ECO Canada (Environmental Careers Organizations) and the Aboriginal Human Resource Development Council of Canada (AHRDCC) in Calgary. BEAHR is committed to increasing Aboriginal employment in the environmental sector through career awareness, the provision of training and employment resources, and the recognition of environmental excellence.
The Okiciyapi (adopted from a Dakota term meaning “working together for a cause”) Partnership is an innovative strategic alliance to promote, strengthen and facilitate First Nation, Inuit and Métis (FNIM) education in all of the partnership schools and communities in Saskatoon.
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Recognizes programs that encompass a broad spectrum of learning activities ranging from formal to informal learning and located within diverse development and delivery contexts
In cooperation with Sing Tao Newspapers (Canada 1988) Limited, the University of Toronto developed the Certificate in Canadian Business Management Essentials to respond to Toronto’s Chinese population’s desire for high-quality, indepth education in subjects beyond English as a Second Language.
Creative Retirement Manitoba (CRM) is a community-based, non-profit Seniors Education Centre established in 1981. The forerunner of CRM, the Institute for Continuous Learning, was established in direct response to seniors’ concerns regarding insufficient educational programming in the city to meet their needs. CRM promotes learning opportunities for older people to stimulate healthly lifestyles and longevity.
Jeunesse Canada Monde (JCM) / Canada World Youth (CWY) has been coordinating international exchanges for young people from Canada and abroad for over 35 years. CWY seeks to train the upcoming generation of world citizens through its international education programs for 17- to 24 year-olds. CWY has developed a unique approach— to remain alert to the needs of youth, to reflect the pluralism of Canadian society and to recruit young people from a variety of backgrounds. In addition, CWY has developed exchanges including Groupe Information Travail (GIT) in Montreal, a focused program giving young people, who may be excluded from regular programs, an opportunity to enjoy a rewarding experience.
Boeing Winnipeg offers a program through which employees can earn their high school diploma within the supportive environment of the workplace. This opportunity has been available to the Boeing workforce since 2004 with the Mature Student Diploma (MSD). Since that time, over 20 learners have reached their goal of high school completion.
St. Christopher House (SCR) is a community-based, multiservice organization in Toronto that provides a wide range of programs and services to people from many cultures and of all ages. SCH takes a community development approach to its work: programs and policies are grounded in the “lived” experience of people who use its services.
The Bridges Project is an alternative adult education program created by the Faculty of Education at the University of Western Ontario (London), that provides literacy/basic skills and credit study opportunities for women who have experienced violence and who wish to return to school. Each component of this program has been designed to address the barriers to participation identified by women who have experienced violence.
Recognizes programs that enhance the ability of participants to access and use health information to improve their own health or the health of others within the community
Mental Health Works, an initiative of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), was launched in Toronto in 2001 as a partnership project involving the voluntary sector, government and business. It has grown into a program with training workshops delivered across the country by 38 certified trainers, and has received the Canadian Award for Training Excellence in 2004 and 2005 from the Canadian Society for Training and Development.
Physicians must work as part of multi-disciplinary teams in providing patient care and addressing public-health issues. Facilitating conflict resolution is an essential competency required to fulfil these responsibilities. In response, the University of Ottawa Faculties of Medicine and Law developed a bilingual, two-day workshop in conflict resolution for medical students, residents and physician faculty administrators. The two faculties collaborated with the Centre for e-Learning to create bilingual web-based instruction that can be combined with active learning in the classroom.
Breakfast for Learning (Canadian Living Foundation, Toronto) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to funding community-based student nutrition programs. Its Eat Right! Be Bright! Club connects thousands of child nutrition workers, volunteers, teachers, parents and children to a one-stop interactive Website that is dedicated to child nutrition and its positive impact on learning.
Recognizes workplace learning programs that promote life-long learning, facilitate career development and upgrade employee skills.
The BUILT Network program is a national skills development project created by and dedicated to assisting persons with disabilities and barriers to gain personal and professional skills in a supportive environment. BUILT (Building Up Individuals through Learning and Teamwork) is a project of the National Network for Mental Health (North Bay).
Cavendish Farms (Summerside, P.E.I.), “The Potato Specialists”, is a quality producer of frozen potato products for retail, restaurant, and quick service markets. As Prince Edward Island’s largest private sector employer, Cavendish Farms is contributing to the development of an educated and competent workforce. The Learning Centre, originally designed to facilitate G.E.D. or high school completion, now offers adult basic literacy, secondary English, mathematics, biology, and history, postsecondary refreshers, computer literacy, creative and professional writing, post-secondary facilitation, and assistance with professional licensing. The Learning Centre listens to employees and seeks to meet their unique needs.
The Career Internship Program (CIP) at Windsor Park Collegiate in Winnipeg is an innovative partnership program designed to build transferable skills in youth, and to prepare them better for an economy that demands a variety of skills and the ability to move between different jobs. CIP’s 3 R’s for the high school experience–to engage relevant curriculum, participate in real experiences, and be responsive to the world beyond high school–prepare students for successful high school transitions.
While most ministries rely on outsourcing for language training, the IHLTP at Natural Resources Canada in Ottawa adopts an approach that ensures cohesion between training and the workplace. Beyond its goal of promoting successful completion of Public Service Exams, the program blends management practices and organizational culture in the fields of official languages, career development, workplace environment and employment equity. Its development was based on principles, policies and educational material adaptable to any employment environment.
The Textiles Human Resources Council (Ottawa) developed a network of skills and learning sites and portals to bring a structured, integrated approach to skills development in the workplace. The sites and portals have become a focal point for on-the-job training and mentoring as well as points of access to customizable learning programs delivered within textile workplaces.