Indigenous Education Network Week in Review: October 31

Ahnii and good afternoon everyone,

Each and every week the volunteers at the Indigenous Education Network (IEN) are hard at work planning and organizing cultural events that are educational and inspirational for you – the members, and friends of the IEN – to ensure your time at the University of Toronto is as rich and rewarding as the quality of education you are receiving.

To help you stay up-to-date on what is happening and what has happened at the IEN and around campus, we have launched the IEN Week in Review.

Please feel free to forward this to your friends and colleagues, and if you have any feedback for us we would love to hear from you.

Miigwetch – IENTwitter: @IENatOISE and @SuzanneLStewartSlideShare: http://www.slideshare.net/IENatOISE.

Update: Advisory Council on Indigenous Education

As most of you are aware Dr. Suzanne L. Stewart, Special Advisor to the Dean on Aboriginal Education, has been tasked with implementing the recommendations of the Accord on Indigenous Education at OISE. Implementing the accord requires the creation of a community-based Aboriginal Council to advise on institutional policies, procedures, practices and programs to ensure they reflect and respect the interests and needs of Aboriginal communities.

The first meeting of the Council was held on October 27, 2011, and was attended by respected members of the Toronto Aboriginal community who have an interest in the education of our peoples. The purpose for the meeting was to define the vision, values and principles of the Council, all of which was achieved.

At this time we would like to extend an invitation to the IEN students and members who have an interest in Indigenous Education to join the Council. If you are interested please send an email to Steven.Vanloffeld@utoronto.ca.

Update: IEN Speaker Series

On October 25, 2011 the Indigenous Education Network (IEN) held its first Fall 2011 Guest Lecture. 49 faculty, staff and teacher candidates attended But we don’t have any Aboriginal students in our school! Investigating the Complexities of Decolonizing and Indigenizing Teacher Education with Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) alumnus Dr. Susan D. Dion.

Dr. Dion’s talk garnered significant discussion and feedback from those in attendance, many of whom are teachers or teacher candidates, and were seeking ways to bring more Indigenous Knowledge in to their classrooms and curriculum. http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/oise/About_OISE/IEN2011guestlecture102511.html

Call for Submissions: IEN Graphic Design Contest

The IEN pleased to announce a Graphic Design Contest for First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists titled “Strengthening our People and our Communities Through Education.” A copy of the information sheet and submission form is available for download on our SlideShare page. Please feel free to forward the contest info to your contacts and colleagues.

Thinking of becoming a teacher? Let's talk.

Do you know any Aboriginal youth who are interested in becoming a teacher? If so, please let them know about the Teacher Education Information Night.

Wednesday November 2nd 4:15pmOISE auditorium, main floor252 Bloor Street West (St. George Station)Map - http://map.utoronto.ca/building/123

Aboriginal Scholarship Guide

Windspeaker and AMMSA maintain an extensive list of scholarships and bursaries available to Aboriginal students.

If you are a Canadian Native (First Nations, non-status, Métis, Inuit) student, there are a variety of available funding sources to help offset the financial burden of receiving an education. Please check the lists to determine which programs you may qualify for, and then contact the program administrators directly. More info available at: http://www.ammsa.com/community-access/scholarships

Speak Up and Get Involved

Did you know that the IEN is here for you – students, staff and faculty? And as such, we want to hear from you.

Got an idea you want to share with us, or share on your behalf? Send it to us and we’ll send it out to the 322 (and growing) people on our listserv. Or maybe you want us to sponsor an event? Get in touch with us or send us a proposal as we’re always looking for new and creative ways to support our members while increasing awareness about the IEN and the work we, and of course, the work all of you do.

For those of you looking for ways to get involved and meet new people it’s as easy as attending our next meeting on Friday, November 18 at 1 p.m. in OISE room 7-162

IEN Student Lounge Hours

Located in OISE room 7-160 the IEN Student Lounge is a quiet place for you to meet with friends, meet new friends, hang out, or simply study. The lounge is open Wed and Thurs from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., and on Fri from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is also available on Mon and Tues upon request.