CCL Home > Research Activities > Funded Research
Jason Brown, Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario Susan Rodger Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario Cheryl Fraehlich, Research & Education for Solutions to Violence & Abuse (RESOLVE), University of Manitoba
In collaboration with Michael Champagne and Tammy Christensen of the Ndinawemaaganag Endaawaad Inc., Winnipeg, MB, Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre Inc., Winnipeg, MB, Andrews Street Family Centre, Winnipeg, MB Julie Gerrits and Jessica Ticar, Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario
Summary (PDF 32 KB)
Full Report (PDF 556 KB)
The purpose of this study was to identify issues, service gaps and successes among Aboriginal youth in a range of formal educational settings within the inner city.
Past research and current social justice perspectives demand the inclusion of the voices of Aboriginal youth and culturally relevant research practices that focus on individual and community strengths and connections.
Interviews were conducted with 54 Aboriginal youth aged 14–19 who attended mainstream, culturally based, alternative or vocational schools, and 10 key informants from the community. Concept mapping, a participatory research methodology, was used to examine the educational experiences of the youth.
Findings are considered in the context of individual and community strengths, culturally relevant resources, supports and education, and the need to view education holistically and from the perspective of the whole person.
Results indicate that youth are negotiating their presence in school with concerns about family responsibilities and changing relationships, safety, and available supports and resources. Youth identified their sense of belonging, connection with and support from family and community, and self-advocacy as the critical factors for successful engagement in education.
Key informants emphasized the negative impact on educational success for youth of colonization and its sequelae, including poverty, the legacy of the residential schools, inadequate housing and the presence of gang-related violence.
Informants also highlighted the necessity of community-based supports such as childcare and food programs, and the need for education and educators to be flexible, responsive to students' needs, strengths-based and culturally relevant.