Supporting the advancement of Indigenous students with Indspire
September 08, 2022
Helping First Nations, Inuit, and Metis students realize their aspirations with donations to Indspire's Building Brighter Futures program
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For those hungry for knowledge, seeking higher education is a recipe for success—pursuing a post-secondary education is essential to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in an ever-evolving world. We support students striving to achieve their dreams by donating to Indsprire, an Indigenous national charity investing in the future of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis students.
A leader in Indigenous education, Indspire has made it their mission to provide Indigenous students with the opportunity to achieve their academic goals through scholarships, bursaries, and awards programs. Their Building Brighter Futures (BBF) program opens doors through education. Over $153 million in financial support has been provided to students across Canada.
Here at Stantec, we’ve supported Indspire since 2012 through youth career conferences and the BBF program. To date, we’ve donated $146,000 to Indigenous students. This year, our donation of two Stantec Indigenous Bursaries went to students from a remote community and students located in the Wood Buffalo region who are enrolled in STEM programs. The bursaries helped six students come that much closer to their goals.
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One recipient, Hailey Josephson, is in her fifth year of science studies, and in her third year of dietetics specialization. With an integrated internship at the University of Alberta, Hailey’s excited about her future as a registered dietician. “I‘m currently learning about the life course approach to nutrition and would love to be able to tie this in and give back to my community, Snuneymuxw First Nations,” Hailey says. “I’ve experienced the detrimental effects of inadequate nutrition either due to food insecurity, reduced income, social inequities, and more, and how these things have affected my elders. If I could educate the younger generations on the importance of proper nutrition and provide help accessing it, that would make me so proud.”
Hailey has now wrapped up her advanced community placement. “I spent May to August with the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch under Indigenous Services Canada,” she says. “It was an incredible learning experience. I learned so much about Indigenous foodways and the sad reality of unequal food insecurity in many First Nations communities. I hope one day, this learning experience will equip me with the tools and resources necessary to fight some of these battles with my knowledge of food nutrition and give back to my community.”
Through a variety of efforts, Indspire continues to raise awareness of the BBF program and recruits applicants from across Canada. With the advancement of technology and the impact of the pandemic, many efforts have shifted to digital and online outreach for the 2021-2022 school year. As a result, the number of applicants for Indspire bursaries and scholarships increased 112 percent over the previous fiscal year.
We’re proud to support Indspire and young Indigenous people achieving their academic and career goals.