ReMBC is eager to bring our offerings to Indigenous students, educators and communities. In the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, it is important to us that we do this in a way that is culturally safe, relevant and meaningful for our Indigenous participants and partners.
Learn more about ReMBC’s Indigenous Strategic Plan and how you can get involved by partnering with us to gather feedback and develop new initiatives or by taking advantage of our offerings. Through a grant from UBC’s Indigenous Strategic Initiatives Fund, we are able to provide funding for Indigenous schools, communities, students, educators, or activists who work with us.
Opportunities for Indigenous students, schools, and organizations
We welcome you to take advantage of all of our offerings! Our Indigenous Initiatives Manager, Ms. Angela Nash (Wəlastəkwewiyik), can assist you and answer your questions and help with funding: angela.nash@ubc.ca
Partner with ReMBC and receive funding to bring mentorship opportunities to rural Indigenous youth
In 2023 ReMBC applied for – and was awarded! – three years of funding through UBC’s Indigenous Strategic Initiatives Fund. Most of this funding is earmarked to go directly to the Indigenous communities, services and allies – like you! – who partner with us to develop mentoring initiatives for rural Indigenous youth. The ultimate goal of these mentoring initiatives is to inspire and support rural Indigenous students’ successful transition to post-secondary education, including facilitating opportunities for current post-secondary students to mentor and share knowledge with these students.
Funding goals
It is important to us to ensure that our offerings are equitable and accessible for our Indigenous participants and that they are developed collaboratively with Indigenous communities, services, and allies. Moreover, we realize that your community has its own unique needs and desires, and we are eager to work on-on-one with you to meet your individual needs – whether that is modifying ReMBC’s existing offerings, or building something new. Ultimately, by bringing your vision of education through mentorship to life, we hope to form a lasting friendship with you and provide sustainable support so that your students can benefit from our shared creation for years to come.
Check out the First Nations Post-Secondary Students Factsheet, to learn about the education gaps faced by first nations students. Mentoring can play a key role in bridging these gaps and supporting their journey through post-secondary education.
What your involvement will look like
- Tell us about your community’s needs and goals, and where you see youth mentorship fitting in.
- Have a conversation with our team about how our current offerings do and do not meet these needs. If you wish, offer feedback and suggestions on how our offerings can be rebuilt or modified.
- Provide collaborative input while our team redevelops/rebuilds the program in your vision.
- Recruit students in your community to participate in the pilot of the new program, and offer feedback and suggestions.
At the end, you will have a unique mentoring program designed specifically for the youth in your community. The ReMBC team will continue to support the program for as long as you wish (we hope forever!).
See details below.
Interested in partnering with us?
Reach out to our Indigenous Initiatives Manager, Ms. Angela Nash (Wəlastəkwewiyik). She will chat with you about your interests and goals and answer your questions – no obligation required! angela.nash@ubc.ca
Partnership and funding details
Expand each item to learn more about partnership and funding details
Who is eligible to participate
Organizations or individuals who work with rural Indigenous students – including both high school and post-secondary students. Examples include:
- Indigenous student serving schools
- Indigenous student support workers, advisors or educators
- Community organizations or services that support Indigenous youth
- Community advocates or organizers who are interested in supporting Indigenous youth
- Post-secondary services for Indigenous students – especially those supporting student transitions to post-secondary education or health professions programs
How funding can be used
Funding must be used to develop and implement mentorship opportunities for rural Indigenous students. This can include purchasing materials, hosting a gathering or event, or compensating participants for their feedback and time. All funding will be distributed in accordance with UBC’s Indigenous Finance Guidelines.
Expectations
Participants are expected to (at the very minimum):
- View or (preferably) try out our current offerings.
- Provide feedback and suggestions on our current offerings, including our program structure, delivery, activities, materials and training.
- Provide collaborative input as the ReMBC team redevelops – or rebuilds – the program in your vision. Choose the extent of your involvement in this process: it could be as little as answering any questions that the development team has, or as much as being an equal partner in the development process.
- Recruit students in your community to participate in the pilot of the new program. Offer feedback and suggestions.
These are the minimum requirements for participation. Participants are welcome to co-lead any of these processes.
Rural eMentoring BC will assume the following responsibilities:
- Facilitate student participation in the program. This includes providing materials, support, and being responsible for program implementation. This support will begin when students try out our current offerings, will continue as the students participate in the pilot program, and will last for as long as you decide to use the program thereafter.
- Oversee the feedback and development processes. We welcome your input on how these processes should go, including how feedback should be gathered. Moreover, our oversight is merely a suggestion intended to take the onus off of you and be mindful of your time – you are welcome to take as much ownership of this project as you would like!
- Provide regular updates, share data, findings, and resources, and provide documentation of all activities. This work is intended to be grounded in transparency and reciprocity.
- Provide funding for all activities related to the project, including implementation and compensating participants for their feedback. It is important to us that you benefit from this collaboration.
- Ensure our that Indigenous participants and partners feel welcome and safe throughout this process. We endeavour to be humble, grateful and respectful throughout our time together and beyond. We acknowledge that we might make mistakes and that we are still learning, and we appreciate all that you have to teach us.
ReMBC’s Indigenous Strategic Plan
ReMBC’s Indigenous Strategic Plan is grounded in promoting education on Truth and Reconciliation and Indigenous issues, as well as in supporting Indigenous students. In the fall of 2023, ReMBC secured ongoing funding from the Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues to hire an Indigenous Initiatives Manager, Ms. Angela Nash, to oversee the strategic plan’s development, implementation and sustainability. At the same time, ReMBC successfully applied for $250,000 in start-up funds through UBC’s Indigenous Initiatives Fund to build the new initiatives. The strategic plan has five goals:
Decolonize and Indigenize unit operations and practices
ReMBC aims to train its staff to operate the program in a way that honors the land and the Indigenous people who once resided there, incorporates Two-Eyed Seeing and the 4-Rs, and reduces the usage of colonial systems and ways of knowing. Ms. Nash is also reviewing all public facing materials to ensure they are culturally safe and reflect Indigenous values.
Provide support to Indigenous students transitioning to university
Through monthly newsletters and information on our website, ReMBC aims to connect Indigenous students to support, services, and opportunities that help remove structural and systemic barriers to pursuing and attending post-secondary education.
Provide education on Truth and Reconciliation and advance the rights of Indigenous people
All participants receive information on Truth and Reconciliation through an in-house curriculum unit, and the program will promote events, opportunities and resources on Truth and Reconciliation.
Decolonize and Indigenize curriculum and mentor training
The program is working to ensure its curriculum and mentor training are representative and safe for Indigenous participants. Curriculum goals include increasing Indigenous representation, adding Truth and Reconciliation content, and reviewing the curriculum as a whole, including verbiage and structure, through the lens of Two-Eyed Seeing and the 4-Rs. Mentor training goals include updating the program’s Indigenous cultural safety training, as well as adding additional resources and Indigenous content.
Gather and implement input from Indigenous interests
ReMBC hopes to hear from rural Indigenous interests about how they see the program addressing the structural and systemic barriers to accessing post-secondary education. The program will also work to understand and incorporate Indigenous views on mentoring, and hear ideas for how rural Indigenous youth would like to utilize a connection to a post-secondary student as a way to reach their career and educational goals. Make your voice heard or partner with us.
ReMBC hopes that by addressing these areas, the program will be able to engage more Indigenous participants, and that Indigenous participants will be better served by the program’s offerings.
About our Indigenous initiatives manager, Angela
Angela (she/her) provides support for Indigenous students and mentors in the program. She ensures that our program is a safe and inclusive space for Indigenous participants and their communities. Angela is Wəlastəkwewiyik (Maliseet) from Sitansisk (St. Mary’s First Nation) in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She has been involved with the program since 2019, bringing her vast knowledge of engagement, relationship building, and the “Two-Eyed Seeing” approach to research as well as intellectual property. She is an advocated for the underserved!