BRANTFORD, February 5, 2018 – Today the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Indigenous Services, visited Six Nations Polytechnic’s STEAM Academy. Minister Philpott congratulated Six Nations Polytechnic (SNP) on their innovative STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineers, Arts and Mathematics) Academy.
The STEAM Academy is the first school in Canada to offer students a high school diploma and a college diploma concurrently; encouraging a new, modern generation of learners. This program gives students access to tools ranging from advanced Virtual Reality to thousands of years of Indigenous knowledge, to the shared care and experience of a dedicated team of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators. Students in the program begin taking college courses as early as grade 10 and will finish the program in 5 - 6 years with both an Ontario Secondary School Diploma and a 2 year Ontario College Technician Diploma changing the way Canadians think about education.
“Six Nations Polytechnic is at the forefront of a paradigm shift in education due partly to the innovative and revolutionary way Indigenous knowledge and thought is embedded within the organization,” said SNP President, Rebecca Jamieson. “Thinking seven generations ahead allows us to envision a world where education means integration, and so we decided to change the current model to improve the quality of learning for our students and it’s worked out quite well so far. The students love it.”
“Part of the program also focuses on reconciliation,” said Aaron Hobbs, Principal of the STEAM Academy. “Being open to Indigenous and non-Indigenous students allows for intercultural sharing to take place while we work to educate all of our students about Hodinohso:ni traditions from a completely Indigenous perspective.”
Indigenous Services Canada is supporting Six Nations Polytechnic’s STEAM Academy with funding for post-secondary education, parental and community engagement, language and culture, and student tuition.
Quick Facts
- Six Nations Polytechnic’s STEAM Academy launched in Brantford, Ontario in September 2017.
- Tuition is provided at no cost to students.
- By 2019 there will be approximately 182,000 unfilled jobs in the information and communications technology sector.
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