OVERCOMING BARRIERS to postsecondary education

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In the summer of 2011, students from two Thunder Bay elementary schools became trailblazers in an ambitious endeavour to make university education a possibility for every child in Northern and Central Ontario.

These children participated in the Sherbrooke Public School literacy camp that was chosen as the youth outreach pilot project for Lakehead University's Achievement Program. The goal of the Achievement Program is to help First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students, as well as other learners facing barriers, become university graduates.

Aboriginal students account for approximately 11% of Lakehead's student population, giving Lakehead one of the highest percentages of Aboriginal students among Canadian universities. But this figure is still low compared to the percentage of the general population attending university. "This is a situation that must change," says Lakehead President Brian Stevenson, as "higher education is critical to increasing social and economic mobility."

The Youth Achievement Outreach Program is aimed at reducing high dropout rates prior to university by connecting with children early and allowing them to earn financial credits toward tuition costs at Lakehead. Children receive these credits by staying in school and by completing Achievement Program activities at Lakehead University and its partner schools. The programming, which begins in Grade 4, focuses on developing children's innate potential and encompasses everything from science camps and online chats to wrestling and hockey.

The Lakehead District School Board signed the inaugural Achievement Program Memorandum of Understanding with Lakehead University in April 2012 and there are plans to enter into agreements with school boards throughout Central and Northern Ontario. Yolanda Wanakamik, acting vice-provost of aboriginal initiatives, has been part of the Achievement Program from its earliest stages. "One of the highlights for me was bringing the children to campus and showing them how Lakehead University can change their lives," she says. "Give children the opportunity to learn and explore and the possibilities are endless."

The Achievement Program has already transformed eight-year-old Ryder's view of the world. Ryder was one of the students who participated in the Sherbrooke School pilot project two summers ago. His mother Heather says, "If you get them thinking about school when they are young, it sits there at the back of their minds. Ryder now knows that he can come here and he's not scared." She's also happy that the supportive environment and chance to socialize with other children have made Ryder more outgoing and confident.

Heather herself joined the Lakehead University community this September to begin an Honours Bachelor of Social Work degree. "When I told Ryder that I'd be coming here for school he said, 'Well I can tell you where the washroom is. I can take you to the gym.'" She also hopes that her daughter Karma, who is now in Grade 1, will enrol in the Achievement Program when she is older. "Karma has been saying, 'Can I go to that thing with Ryder' and 'Mommy's going to university, I want to go there too.'"

In addition to the youth component of the Achievement Program, funds are being raised to support mature Aboriginal students who want to begin full-time studies at Lakehead University. The bursaries will make the transition to Lakehead easier by covering child care costs as well as moving and other initial expenses. Expanding opportunities for all individuals is not only a matter of social justice, according to Dr. Stevenson. "Doing so," he says, "makes us stronger and ready to take on the challenges of the new century." The Achievement Program is also linked to future economic development. As we reinvent the forestry and mining industries and as the knowledge and health economies continue to evolve, we are going to need the skills of more and more people from the regions we serve."