September & October 2023

Sharing our Stories

Steve Bonspiel from the Eastern Door in Kahnawake told us about their powerful project: Sharing our Stories. His goal is to collect as many stories as possible and eventually to see this kind of project in other communities.

Find out more about the project here.

Read their stories here.

Request for assistance

Good day!

As part of the “Promoting vocational training in Indigenous contexts” project, we have developed a training program for staff (teachers, administrators, professionals) at vocational training centers (VTCs) who have worked or will be working in partnership with an Indigenous organization or community.

The training content is based on an international literature review (Joncas et al., 2022), but above all on the testimonials of 13 people involved in a partnership between a VTC and an Indigenous community. The analysis of these testimonies made it possible to document the stages of creation of the partnerships, the roles and responsibilities of each person, the know-how and skills, the available resources, Indigenous student profiles, the pros and cons of the partnership, as well as potential impacts.

We are therefore writing to you because we want to test this training with two VTCs. We are asking for your help in identifying one of these VTCs.

Have you recently entered into a partnership with a VTC, or are you planning to do so in the near future, with a view to starting up a vocational training (or adult education) program in your community?

If so, we would be grateful if you could share with us the contact details of the CFP with whom you collaborated by writing to tlusignan@conseilscolaire-schoolcouncil.org  and jo.anni.joncas@usherbrooke.ca

Our sincere thanks for your support,

Tanu and Jo Anni

Martin Family Initiative

The Martin Family Initiative provides free materials and support for Indigenous education through various programs. Jessie, Yves, and Lucie shared about their early childhood and entrepreneurship programming at our last meeting.

The MFI has already begun working with Indigenous Adult Education Network member communities on different projects.

Find out more about their programs here.

Read their Indigenous Entrepreneurship program brochure and their last annual report here.

Contact: The Martin Family Initiative:
+1 (514) 982-3925
info@themfi.ca

Good News Stories

There is so much good happening in our centres and communities – let’s take some time to celebrate it!

This month, we are celebrating the opening of a brand new community run centre in Mashteuiatsh. It is so brand new it is opening TODAY, October 16! Congratulations!

Since February 2023, we’ve shared 11 good news stories from across the Indigenous Adult Education Network. Keep them coming! If you have something you’d like to share in future newsletters, Please forward your pictures, along with a short description of the event or activity, to Tracy and I will turn your good news into a poster like the one above or the ones you can see at the links below!

• See all of the Good News Stories as a slideshow here.
• Read the Good News Stories as a text document here.

Save the Date!

These are some upcoming events that may interest you and your colleagues. Please let us know of other opportunities for learning and connection.

• October 26 online from 9 – 11: Indigenous Adult Education Network meeting. Agenda and Zoom invitation to follow. Please let me know if there is anyone I should add to the mailing list.
  
• October 26 online: ALDI Accessibility and Inclusion workshops
  • Workshop descriptions and registration info available here. (in English only)
    
• October 27 online from 8 – 9am EDT: Quebec Social Integration Network meeting for educators working with Social and Sociovocational Integration students. Here is the invitation:
  • Hello! 
    Please join us for the QCSI Network’s first meeting of the year on Friday, October 27 at 8:00 am on Zoom. This meeting will take 30-45 minutes. If you’re interested in attending the meeting and / or would like to participate in the development of the Network’s various projects, please consult and fill in the following form: https://forms.gle/7n5ZFvj5E2m3Tng37
    Here’s the Zoom link for Oct. 27:  https://lbpsb-qc-ca.zoom.us/j/94410530612?pwd=QUpUcWN3Nzlxdmgwa3ZvY2Q1dFJoUT09
    Please forward this on to any SI/SVI folks whom I may have missed.
    Thank you,
    Matthew
    
• November 2 + 3 in person: QUESCREN Education and Vitality Forum 2023 at Concordia University in Montreal
  • “This forum will focus on current concerns and strategies for an inclusive and quality English-language education system. It provides a space for researchers, education practitioners, community stakeholders, policy-makers, and various audience members to share information, research, and best practices.”
  • Registration info is on their website.
    
• November 3 online and in person from 8:15 – 3:45: La Journée du numérique en éducation will take place in Ste Hyacinthe with online options via Zoom. The programming is in French only but we are requesting translation options for the online sessions and will keep you posted!
  • Find out more here (French only)
• November 15 – 17 in person and online: Indspire’s 2023 National Gathering will take place in Montreal this year. The deadline to register was October 15 but registration is still possible!
  • Indspire National Gathering information & registration

Monthly Poster

This is part of a growing series of small posters to honour teachers & learning. Here is a folder of the images with and without the IAEN logo. Feel free to use them and add your own logo if you like. The images used are all from pixabay.com, unless otherwise noted, and are in the public domain.

This month’s poster includes a quotation from Jesse Thistle’s memoire, From the Ashes : “Whatever the reason, I came to the realization that I’d earned my way here and that I had the right to chase my dreams. That even I deserved a second chance.”