MHC to coordinate first provincial Indigenous Learner Summit
Medicine Hat College (MHC) is being recognized for its strong leadership and collaboration by Alberta Advanced Education, receiving a $60,000 grant to coordinate the first provincial Indigenous Learner Summit (ILS) next spring.The summit is intended to bring together the post-secondary system in support of Indigenous adult learners across the province.
Thanks to the support of the Indigenous Learning Grant, MHC has invested in activities aligned to supporting reconciliation and Indigenization on campus. Based on that activity, the opportunity to coordinate and present at the ILS was granted.
"We have pride as a college to be recognized and to host because it means we must be doing something right,” says MHC’s director of student supports Nicholas Langat. “We're also going into this to learn, to see what others are doing, and hopefully borrow best practices. We can then improve and expand our services to students and our relationships, not only with institutions, but to whoever will be attending.”
MHC will collaborate with institutions across southern Alberta and the government to coordinate the ILS, which will bring together professionals from across the province to support system-wide dialogue, coordination, and knowledge sharing to benefit Indigenous learners.
Led by MHC’s Indigenous Engagement & Student Supports office, focused initiatives to bring community together, promote reconciliation, and help learners connect with Indigenous culture have been a priority. These include bringing in craft circles, hosting ceremonies with the college’s Elder on Campus, and planning educational events on campus.
The college also continues to host annual institutional events including National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, Round Dance, and National Day of Awareness for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People.
"We want every institution to be part of this that has an office similar to our Indigenous Engagement & Student Supports,” says Langat. We have actually talked about opening it up to other provinces as well. So, while it is a provincial event, our initial thinking is that we could open it up to Western Canada."
Learn more about Indigenous student supports at Medicine Hat College at www.mhc.ab.ca.