Indigenous students on Vancouver Island will be able to access expanded support to finish off their studies, thanks to a big donation.
An $80,000 donation from RBC and the RBC Foundation is headed to the Aboriginal Scholars program at North Island College (NIC).
The money is part of RBC’s commitment to empowering young Canadians by improving access to the skills, education, and resilience they need to succeed through the ‘RBC Future Launch’ program.
Kelly Shopland, NIC’s executive director of Indigenous education, says the funds will help the college expand its Aboriginal Scholars program to even more Indigenous students at ALL campuses.
“This will ensure more Indigenous students have access to digital and on-campus support for completing their studies and transitioning successfully into the workforce or further education,” Shopland says, while thanking RBC for their continued support.
The program is holistic and culturally relevant, NIC notes. It aims to empower students to reach their academic, spiritual, emotional, and/or physical goals, supporting them by providing life skills.
NIC says the program has seen great success over the last four years. But now, thanks to the donation from RBC, it can expand, supporting the goals of the college’s recently launched Indigenization plan, ‘Working Together’. A first for NIC, the plan establishes Indigenous-centred holistic services and learning environments for learner success.
