IAESC marks anniversary with website, logo unveiling

Student conference February 2019 to help guide future of Indigenous Institutes

TYENDINAGA MOHAWK TERRITORY – The Indigenous Advanced Education and Skills Council (IAESC) is planning a student conference for early February 2019 to help shape the future of the community-driven post-secondary education and training system in Ontario.

The event, to be held in Toronto Feb. 6-7, is among the news stories on the Council’s website at www.iaesc.ca, which was launched this week to celebrate the first anniversary of the Indigenous Institutes Act receiving royal assent Dec. 14, 2017.

Indigenous Institutes are a pillar of Ontario’s post-secondary education and training landscape. IAESC was created through legislation as the independent quality assurance organization which will review Institutes and programs for certificate, diploma and degree-granting credentials.

“We are entering 2019 with as much momentum as 2018, which saw the formation of the IAESC board and incorporation as a federal not-for-profit organization,” said Laurie Robinson, chairwoman and executive director of IAESC. “We are adding, stone by stone, a new layer to the foundation created over decades by Indigenous educators and advocates.”

The student conference, the first-ever gathering of delegates of the nine Indigenous Institutes in Ontario, will expand the decision-making circle setting standards for the future of Indigenous Institutes. Each Institute is invited to send up to three delegates from the student body and/or recent graduates.

“It’s vital that every voice is involved when charting the course forward,” Robinson said, noting how veteran educators, administrators and community leaders are also involved. “Knowing what students appreciate and would like to see as part of their learning experiences is key to the continued success of Indigenous Institutes.”

Institutes are located across the province, deliver programming in multiple communities and have networks around the world.

Key to the quality assurance of Indigenous Institutes is the organization and program review process, which is founded on the work of the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC). WINHEC is providing the Council use of its framework accreditation process and access to its expertise through a memorandum of understanding signed during its annual meeting held in Norway this past August.

The most recent addition to the Council’s Quality Assessment Board is T’hohahoken Michael Doxtator, PhD., who joins Kali Storm and Laura Horton. The founding IAESC board includes Pamela Toulouse, PhD., Delbert Horton and Bob Watts.

Also unveiled on the Council’s website is its corporate logo, with striations representing both the diversity of approaches and the multiple partners bonding to support life-long learning. The site includes education community partner links, the beginning of a library of resource links, news stories and application download page.

The Council is registered as a federal not-for-profit corporation.

For more information or to arrange an interview with Robinson or members of the boards, please email news@iaesc.ca or call 1-833-254-2372.

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