For the third year in a row, Canadore College students are travelling to northern Ontario First Nations communities as part of a service learning initiative.
Six students will be visiting remote First Nations reserves in Ontario, including Moose Factory, nearby Moosonee and Fort Albany to work with at-risk youth. They will be spending time in community schools to foster leadership and raise further awareness of high-risk issues such as suicide, bullying, self-harm, addictions, and more.
Canadore’s Vice-President of Student Services, Shawn Chorney, felt it was important for students to see that there are third-world conditions even within Canadian borders.
“This type of experience reinforces and enhances many of the soft skills employers have identified are missing in the workplace,” said Chorney. “Service learning trips foster a great deal of personal reflection, which leads to a learner understanding the world spans much farther than themselves, encouraging increased civic engagement and personal responsibility.”
Community leaders from the three reserves will be including the group in ritual practices and celebrations, and imparting traditional teachings and experiences.
The trip attracted the attention of students from Indigenous Wellness and Addictions Prevention, Mental Health and Addiction Worker, Practical Nursing, Police Foundations, Community and Justice Services and Environmental Technician programs.
