Stories of HOPE

Main Project Contact:
Dave Porter

Project Start Date:
September 2016

Project Name:
Decolonizing Learning in Communities Across Canada: Stories of HOPE

 

 

 

 

 

ARI Team:
Sarah Rosolen

Overview:

Canada’s education system is failing its Indigenous students. Educational institutions need to confront the impacts of ongoing colonialism in their classrooms if they want to engage Indigenous students and close education gap that exists for them.  Approaching education through a decolonized lens may be a solution.  Decolonizing school systems involves rethinking the way schooling is delivered, including curriculum, methodologies, and relationships with communities. 

Objectives:
Aurora College and the Aurora Research Institute are working with researchers across the country to look at different approaches to decolonial education that are emerging.  The researchers will work together to synthesize findings and tackle some tough questions related to moving forward with decolonial education.  

This information will hopefully ultimately arm teachers, schools, academic institutions and communities with the knowledge they need to move forward with the broad-sweeping changes that are required.

Location:
This project is being led by Aurora College at two locations in the NWT, Fort Smith and Yellowknife, and by other project team members in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and New Brunswick. Of particular interest are the educational curriculum practiced in these various locations.

 

Methods:
This project is a national project involving regional case studies from across the country, being led by Aurora College. Two case studies will take place in the NWT (one in Fort Smith led by Sarah Rosolen and one in Yellowknife led by Suzanne Stewart). Each of these will use a regional research advisory team, involving collaboration with local people in determining the direction of research and communication of results. Potential avenues for communicating results will be a project booklet, webinar, and documentary. Results will also be shared at the Northwest Territories Teachers Association.

External Partners:

  • Dave Porter, Aurora College
  • South Slave Research Centre, Aurora Research Institute
  • Dr. Ann Sherman, University of New Brunswick
  • Dr. Suzanne Stewart,  Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto
  • Dr. Chris Scribe, University of Saskatchewan
  • Dr. Jeff Baker, University of Saskatchewan
  • Dr. Diane Conrad, University of Alberta
  • GNWT Department of Education, Culture and Employment

Keywords:
Educational evaluation, decolonial education, education gap