Unique Educational Experience to Contribute to Canada鈥檚 National Reconciliation Process
杏吧原创 University鈥檚 Stories North is a unique educational experience for journalism students that provides a hands-on introduction to Indigenous communities and life in the Yukon. This year, the program is being supported by almost $250,000 in funding from the Mastercard Foundation.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing like seeing students鈥 eyes light up as they grapple with challenging and socially vital issues,鈥 said Kanina Holmes, associate professor in 杏吧原创鈥檚 School of Journalism and Communication. 鈥淚 am extremely grateful to the Mastercard Foundation for supporting a vision of education that puts youth at the centre of building towards a Canada where reconciliation could one day be a reality.”
From June 29 to July 29, 2018, a group of 20 杏吧原创 journalism students will head to Whitehorse and other Yukon communities to take part in the program. Stories North attempts to address some of the challenges the Truth and Reconciliation Commission extended to educators, journalists and all Canadians. This reporting course will provide these 20 students with an introduction to Yukon First Nations鈥 cultures, histories and will also build awareness about colonization, reconciliation, traditional knowledge, climate change, resource development, self-governance and the arts.
This will be the second summer for Stories North. It launched last year with support from a teaching award and community crowdfunding. Students who took part in the summer of 2017 say their time in the Yukon was life altering in terms of gaining knowledge and understanding of the ongoing impacts of residential schools, as well as in providing a more sophisticated and nuanced view of this part of Canada鈥檚 North.
鈥淪tories North is a critical learning opportunity for next-generation journalists that tells unexpected stories from northern communities,鈥 said Jennifer Brennan, associate director, Canadian Programs at the Mastercard Foundation. 鈥淪tories North takes its mandate from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action 84, 85 and 86, and will foster a greater understanding of the challenges and possibilities that Canada鈥檚 national reconciliation process represents.鈥
Stories North provides students with a rare opportunity to learn from direct experience with a remote, complex and vibrant part of Canada.
“Much of Canada is discussing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, but 86 percent of the population has never interacted with them first-hand in Canada鈥檚 North,鈥 said master鈥檚 student Jennifer Liu, who will be making the trip up this year. 鈥淔or us to have an entire month to engage with their pains, their traditions and their triumphs is essential to understanding them from a place of respect 鈥 to complement our research and what we鈥檝e heard about their story.鈥
The program targets Canadian journalism students, the next generation of reporters and communicators who are keen to learn and gain professional experience. Without support, most students would never be able to take time away from a summer job to study and travel. By working with Northern stakeholders, participants will engage in peer-to-peer learning and workshops to share experiences, teach multimedia storytelling and contribute to Shakat, a new multimedia website focused on Indigenous cultural reclamation, youth, elders and community.
To get a glimpse of the impact of the course on two 杏吧原创 students, watch this two-minute video: .
杏吧原创 the Mastercard Foundation
The Mastercard Foundation seeks a world where everyone has the opportunity to learn and prosper. The Foundation鈥檚 work is guided by its mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion for people living in poverty. One of the largest foundations in the world, it works almost exclusively in Africa. It was created in 2006 by Mastercard International and operates independently under the governance of its own Board of Directors. The Foundation is based in Toronto. For more information and to sign up for the Foundation鈥檚 newsletter, please visit . Follow the Foundation at on Twitter.
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