FUNDED PROGRAMS
Helping Spirit Lodge Society – Breaking Ground Women's Bridging Program
(April 1, 2012 – March 31, 2013)
The Helping Spirit Lodge Society's Breaking Ground Empowerment to Employment Program is a 12-week program with six weeks of intensive in-class learning program and six weeks of practicum placement. It is designed to enhance employability skills for Aboriginal women with multiple barriers to employment. The program provides services to Aboriginal women that include counselling, job practicum, upgrading, computer training, life skills, and therapeutic and cultural workshops
Circle of Eagles Lodge Society Pre-Employment Program
(April 1, 2015 – March 31, 2016)
The Circle of Eagles Lodge Society's Anderson Circle Pre-Employment Program is offered to the women and men of Circle of Eagles Lodge as well as to members of the Aboriginal community. This population faces multiple barriers to employment and often are transitioning back into the community from either a federal institution or from a life of homelessness. The program serves 12 participants per program intake and it is continuous monthly intake throughout the program. Participants are involved in a one-day-a-week practicum as volunteers at various jobs and locations.
The program usually alternates between a women's and a men's program. The men's program focusses on construction/trades training and the women on administration/retail and the hospitality industry. It is a 12-week program that covers life skills, job readiness skills, basic computer skills, general office skills, basic academic work, cultural teachings, and certifications in WHMIS, first aid, fork lift operation, traffic control, and food safe, where applicable. Participants are also involved in some volunteer work.
Post-Basic Early Childhood Education Program – Native Education College
(March 1, 2012 – March 31, 2013)
The Aboriginal Post-Basic Early Childhood Education Diploma offers a stimulating and empowering program that includes a balance of classroom academic studies and hands-on practical experience in licensed inclusive childcare settings. The program consists of the combined post-basic diploma specialties in both Special Needs ECE and Infant and Toddler ECE. The training program runs for 8 months full time. The program consists of five months of specialty courses and three months of practicum.
Summer Student Employment Program
The summer student employment program hires secondary and post secondary students for up to four months from May to end of August each year. Employers provide students with meaningful work experiences at either an entry or more advanced level. Usually each organization is funded for one student except for the group projects. The one group project at UBC Museum of Anthropology, the Native Youth Program, hires 4 secondary students to learn about their culture and to lead museum tours and one post secondary student for the program coordinator position. The second program was a summer day camp program at Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society where five secondary and post secondary students were hired to lead group activities and outings for East Vancouver Aboriginal children.
Other organizations that were funded for this program in summer 2009 were Native Education College, Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council, Healing Our Spirit Society, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (Vancouver Campus), Vancouver Native Health Society, Tale’awtxw Aboriginal Capital Corporation, Metro Vancouver and Constant Arts Society