The Anishinabek Educational Institute working towards accreditation

By Marci Becking

ANISHINABEK NATION TERRITORY – Interim Education Director for the Anishinabek Educational Institute (AEI) and the Anishinabek Nation Education Secretariat, Mindy Taylor, says that her focus has been getting accreditation for the AEI.

“In December of 2017, the Ontario government passed the Indigenous Institutes Act, which recognized Ontario’s owned and operated Indigenous Institutes as a fundamental pillar of the post-secondary system,” says Taylor. “At the Grand Council Assembly in June of 2019, the AEI gave an overview and an update of where the work was for the accreditation process for AEI. A Transitional Strategic Plan framework was presented. Since then, there was not much work completed due to capacity issues and because of the pandemic.”

In January of this year, Taylor became the Interim Director and she has made the accreditation for the AEI a priority.

“We are in the process of finalizing our consultant who will go over the two-year-old framework to see how relevant that information is today and what needs to be changed,” says Taylor.  “They will also put together a work plan for the accreditation process with the Indigenous Advanced Education Skills Council where the AEI will need to go through an organizational review – which is the actual accreditation process.  This work plan will be completed by the end of July so that the AEI can start the work and hopefully the accreditation process will be completed by the end of this fiscal year.”

To learn more about the Anishinabek Educational Insititute, please visit: aeipostsecondary.ca.