Confederation College to Offer Embark, Indigenous STEM Education Program for Another Year

THUNDER BAY, ON, May 4, 2022 – Confederation College is pleased to announce it will continue to offer a one-year certificate program focusing on teaching science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to Indigenous women and youth. The Embark, Indigenous STEM Education program was introduced in the 2021 school year and aims to remove barriers and ground students in cultural knowledge while helping them excel in STEM fields.

“We’re excited to continue to expand this program and provide pathways for Indigenous women and youth to study and work in STEM fields,” said Kathleen Lynch, President of Confederation College. “This is an important program that supports different learning styles and creates an affirming space for our students to thrive.”

Elder Melissa Roberts, and Manager of the STEM program, Alicia Brinks, are responsible for incorporating Indigenous learning into the program’s coursework. Both have extensive knowledge in creating compelling Indigenous content, as well as a background in experiential learning.

A partnership with Fort William Historical Park has fostered the opportunity for students to learn how to build a birch bark canoe. This project is an amazing engineering feat; the style and construction are thousands of years old, using different elements of nature to build a strong transportation vessel.

“It is an honour to work with the students creating Indigenous technologies, such as the canoe. It is as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago. We have built a unique community in the classroom that all students enjoy while learning STEM principles,” Alicia Brink, STEM Manager explained.

Graduates of the program will continue to be supported by a Student Navigator and Elder throughout their diploma program. The program is still accepting applications from Indigenous women and Indigenous youth (18-29). Those interested can contact Emily Mackenzie, Indigenous Navigator at: (807) 475-3867, by email: Emily.mackenzie@confederationcollege.ca or check out the program for more information at: http://www.confederationcollege.ca/program/indigenous-women-and-youth-pathways.

Confederation College has been serving the citizens of northwestern Ontario since 1967 meeting the educational needs of students in a catchment area of some 550,000 square kilometres. Along with its main campus in Thunder Bay, Confederation College has seven regional sites located in Dryden, Fort Frances, Greenstone, Kenora, Marathon, Sioux Lookout and Red Lake, as well as a growing Distance Education division.

Confederation College delivers exceptional education and training to an average of 7,000 combined full- and part-time students per year and currently has a total of 600 full- and part-time employees. Confederation’s regional economic impact and contribution is valued at $707.3 million annually.