We have proudly been walking with Pathways Canada supporting their commitment for organizational and individual learning as it relates to Indigenous experiences in education along with the culture, history, worldview, gifts, and systemic challenges facing Indigenous students, their families, communities, and Nations.
Our team and our partners, including Sakatay Global, have worked extensively in sharing information, experiences, and guidance as they continually strengthen their commitment to responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action while working to close the education gap that face many Indigenous students.
We have supported their efforts in developing relationships leading to new program locations and creating partnerships with Indigenous led organizations. We have assisted in the development of the Edmonton, Thunder Bay, and Saskatoon programs, (where the Saskatoon Tribal Council will have their first students graduate in June!).
Listen Up created spaces this summer for Pathways students from across Canada to share their experiences, ideas, and insights with the program to help Pathways Canada as they move forward in their planning and development.
Stay tuned to this page for updates about Listen Up!
Three Things Consulting
Three Things Consulting has decades of experience and expertise in these areas, including having managed a similar in person processes previously for Pathways Canada (with the first gathering of Indigenous students), and managing and leading multiple youth exchanges involving Pathways students and local program staff. In addition, we have adapted all our programming to digital and virtual formats over the past two years.
Three Things is responsible for the promotion, engagement, recruitment, selection process, program design and delivery, staffing, and reporting of these four components.
We will develop a series of activities that are safe, culturally appropriate, engaging, fun, and provides the best opportunity for youth to connect, collaborate and share their ideas, experiences, and expertise regardless of stream of engagement they participate in.
The program will be designed to develop a community throughout each activity and be delivered in a way that at the completion, each student feels they mattered to the process, that their sharing and contribution was important, and they belonged in our community.
OUR FOUR ENGAGEMENT SPACES
Collectively, these spaces included:
- Targeted and intentional recruitment processes of student participants
- An equitable and thorough application process (for in-person events)
- Diverse representation of students from more than half of the 31 programs and were offered in French or English
- Opportunity to build connections and relationships with other Pathways students from across Canada
- Guidance, direction and support from culturally relevant Elders and other knowledge holders at the student gatherings and virtual events
- A strong team of facilitators, influencers and leaders with specialized skills and knowledge in the education sector, youth engagement, youth care, arts and elevating youth voice
- An evidence-based Health and Wellness Strategy
- Participation incentives and prizes for the various components