April 22nd, 2022, Brantford ON – Six Nations Polytechnic (SNP) hosted a special event to mark their progress in Indigenous education quality assurance. In 2020, SNP attained organizational approval (accreditation) through the Indigenous Advanced Education and Skills Council (IAESC) for a period of ten years. Today’s event marks this accomplishment and celebrates SNP’s eligibility to grant certificates, diplomas and degrees with the same rigour and quality as publicly-funded colleges and universities. SNP is joined by eight other Indigenous Institutions across Ontario that now make up a third tier in Ontario Post-Secondary education alongside colleges and Universities. A truly momentous step for Indigenous Education in the province.
SNP holds institutional accreditation through IAESC and internationally through the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC). At the program level, SNP’s signature Bachelor of Arts in Ogwehoweh Languages degree program holds Ministerial consent and is accredited through the Post-Secondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB). With the expansion into Brantford, the school is helping to fill a critical need for trades training in the area. SNP holds Training Delivery Agency (TDA) status for apprenticeships and is an approved delivery agency for three trades. SNP’s STEAM Academy offers an innovative Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) to college program in partnership with IBM and Mohawk College. SNP is also an approved provider of Additional Qualification (AQ) courses with the Ontario College of Teachers.
Throughout this period of growth and transition, SNP has remained committed to its efforts in Ogwehoweh language revitalization and improving access to education and supports for Indigenous learners. Looking forward, SNP will be launching an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Ogwehoweh Languages in the Fall of 2022, with a number of additional programs in development at the certificate, diploma, and degree levels.
“SNP has a responsibility to maintain the trust and confidence of the communities we serve. Accreditation processes document and affirm the quality of our programs and as such are important benchmarks for continued quality assurance. The IAESC accreditation is significant as SNP will now be able to expand our contributions to quality-assured Indigenous education in Ontario,” Rebecca Jamieson, President/CEO, Six Nations Polytechnic.
For Six Nations Polytechnic, the road to recognition has been long. The institution was originally founded in 1993, offering programs in partnership with Ontario Colleges and Universities with the intent of increasing access and supports for Indigenous learners. Since that time the institution has grown significantly and has recently celebrated the acquisition of a second campus in the City of Brantford and has attained accreditation in multiple areas enabling them to offer expanded programming options.
About Six Nations Polytechnic:
SNP has been providing post-secondary and trades training courses and programs to the Six Nations of the Grand River community for almost 30 years. SNP holds accreditation provincially and internationally at both the program and institutional levels. In addition, the institution partners with numerous publicly-funded colleges and universities throughout Ontario.
Six Nations Polytechnic continues to focus on delivering accredited and quality assured programs to support the critical need for Indigenous access to education, Ogwehoweh language revitalization, and culturally grounded and community-based learning opportunities.
SNP is open to all learners and promotes education for everyone. Programming includes secondary education, trades training, college and university programs and lifelong learning programs and courses. Signature SNP programs include the Bachelor of Arts in Ogwehoweh Languages and the upcoming Honours Bachelor of Arts in Ogwehoweh Languages program, which is being launched in the Fall of 2022.
About the Indigenous Institutes Act, 2017
In December 2017, Ontario passed legislation to recognize the unique role Indigenous Institutes have in the province’s post-secondary education system. The Indigenous Institutes Act transfers key functions and oversight of Indigenous Institutes to Indigenous people. The legislation recognizes Indigenous Institutes as a unique and complementary pillar of Ontario’s Post-Secondary education system. It creates a framework for ongoing collaboration between Ontario and Indigenous Institutes and will support a strong, independent Indigenous Institutes sector, overseen by an Indigenous-controlled and governed council.
The Indigenous Advanced Education and Skills Council is the Indigenous-controlled and governed Council, recognized under the Indigenous Institutes Act, 2017. The Council is tasked with establishing quality assurance standards and benchmarks for organizations and programs delivered by the Indigenous Institutes pillar.
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Media Contact
Candace Maracle
Communications Manager candace.maracle@snpolytechnic.com
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