Our journey started over a decade ago with our participation on the education funders table of the former Calgary Urban Aboriginal Initiative (CUAI). Over the years we have listened to and learned from the Indigenous community while engaging in a number of projects to enhance support to Indigenous adults working at building their foundational skills and confidence.
We were proud to establish our Indigenous Grant Stream in 2016 to support the unique learning needs of Indigenous adult learners. Our granting processes were established by the Indigenous Education Liaison at that time with the direction of the Indigenous community leaders and an Elder Advisory Group. Our grants selection process is informed by an Indigenous review team which includes both Indigenous community members and an Elder.
Our path forward has been enhanced through the generous multi-year grant with the Calgary Foundation. This investment has enabled us to increase our Indigenous led work in two specific areas:
1. Indigenous focused professional development for the adult foundational learning field
2. Enhanced programming for Indigenous adults.
We are committed to our continued journey to reconciliation. In fact, when updating Calgary Learns Strategic Plan for 2023-2025, the Calgary Learns Board ensured strategic priorities supporting reconciliation were incorporated into every pillar of our work. Our recent reconciliACTION steps forward include:
- A pipe ceremony to start our current funding cycle
- An Indigenous Learning Circle for our staff and Board to enhance our knowledge of Indigenous worldviews and ways of knowing
- Changing our final reporting process to an oral report, delivered in circle with elder support for Indigenous programs
- Professional Development aimed at supporting practitioners in the field who work with Indigenous adults in foundational programming
You may want to explore some of the resources that shape our reconciliation journey.
