March is Indigenous Awareness Month at Bow Valley College: Supporting ReconciliACTION

Bow Valley College is celebrating Indigenous Awareness Month focusing on Parallel Paths to ReconciliACTION.

(Calgary) -Building off the success of its inaugural Indigenous Showcase in 2018 and as the Bow Valley College continues on a journey of Truth and Reconciliation, the Iniikokaan Centre is leading the College through a month long series of Indigenous Awareness events.  March 2020 will see an increased presence of Indigenous peoples, cultures, Indigenous community members and engaging dialogues about truth and reconciliation. Everyone at the campus is encouraged to get involved, ask questions and participate in learning and celebration. Click here to see a calendar of activities.

“ReconciliACTION is a meaningful action that moves reconciliation forward. ReconciliACTION aims to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous people together in the spirit of reconciliation to create awareness, share, and learn. It is the answer to Gord Downie’s call to ‘Do Something’; do something to raise further awareness, do something that improves the lives of Indigenous people, do something that improves the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. ReconciliACTIONs act as the catalyst for important conversations and meaningful change, recognizing that change starts with every one of us and each person can make an impact.” 

Alberta’s largest college, Bow Valley College (BVC) serves over 17,500 students each year in Calgary and throughout southern Alberta. Bow Valley College’s Calgary campus is located in the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina, and the Iyarhe Nakoda. 

 They are situated on land where the Bow River meets the Elbow River, and that the traditional Blackfoot name of this place is “Mohkinstsis” which we now call the City of Calgary.  The City of Calgary is also home to Metis Nation of Alberta, Region III. Bow Valley College also has satellite campuses located across Treaty 7 territory in Airdrie, Banff, Canmore, Cochrane, High River, Okoktoks, and Strathmore.

BVC offers year-round career certificate, diploma, post-diploma, and post-baccalaureate programs as well as high school upgrading and English language learning. It delivers programs and skills that make you think in new and creative ways, removing barriers to fulfilling and lasting employment.

For Indigenous students looking to pursue post-secondary programs, BVC’s Aboriginal Upgrading program will equip you with the prerequisites for post-secondary while integrating Indigenous knowledge, traditions, and values. The program is built for flexible delivery in order to respond to the academic success and wellbeing of students.

BVC has a growing presence of Indigenous students, alumni, faculty, and staff who play a key role in advancing educational, professional, and social outcomes of Indigenous peoples in Calgary and beyond. They have a number of Indigenous specific student supports including the Iniikokaan (Buffalo Lodge) Centre, the Indigenous student centre, where students from all backgrounds can access cultural resources, reconnect with traditional teachings, and gather and celebrate with the broader community.

Bow Valley College has identified the need to improve outcomes for Indigenous students and to bring Indigenous ways of being, knowing, and learning into the classrooms and our teaching styles, through the voices of Indigenous peoples. Their Indigenization Strategy is focused on recruiting and retaining Indigenous learners and employees across the college, building awareness of Indigenous culture, and history through events and curriculum based learning, and fostering mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous communities and organizations.

Bow Valley College is committed to fast, flexible programs that ensure our graduates are work-ready. Their community is diverse and reflect their values of respect, inclusion, creativity, teamwork, and resilience.  Discover what Bow Valley College has to offer today at bowvalleycollege.ca.

 

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