Published on Brock University (http://www.brocku.ca)
Gidayaamin
Aboriginal Women's Certificate Program
Program Objectives
The Aboriginal Women’s Certificate program is a full-time program that offers a supportive community classroom environment. Students will be exposed to Traditional Knowledge Holders and Aboriginal professionals who provide guest lecturing throughout the duration of the program. Upon completion of five-credits, students will receive a certificate that may be applied to a variety of undergraduate degree programs. The program is designed to encourage self-empowerment, identity development and strong academic skills under the guidance of cultural tradition, Aboriginal spirituality and language enrichment. Such skills will prepare the women for successful transition into an academic program of their choice.
The Learning Outcomes for this program are as follows:
Vision
At the completion of this program the learner will demonstrate a strong cultural identity and have developed the skills necessary to maintain a balance between cultural knowledge and traditional ways of being with academic knowledge.
Relationships
The learner will enhance their relationship to self through self-empowerment and the development of a strong cultural identity. This will assist the women in developing and maintaining the necessary relationships not only within the university and beyond, but also with their families and communities.
Knowledge
The learner will extend and apply a balance of both cultural knowledge and academic skills to modern contexts.
Action
The learner will demonstrate the necessary academic skills for successful transition into a variety of undergraduate degree programs.
The Gidayaamin Aboriginal Women's Certificate Program will be guided by the following principles and goals:
Principles
- To increase the academic skills of the women while encouraging them to maintain a strong cultural identity.
- To offer programming that maintains a balance between cultural knowledge and traditional ways of being with academic knowledge.
- To embrace and assist with the child care needs and familial responsibilities of young Aboriginal women.
Goals
- To address and respond to the many socially constructed barriers that young Aboriginal women face with access to and within education.
- To meet the spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical needs of young Aboriginal women and their children.
- To assist the students in reaching their full potential by encouraging positive self-images through the development of strong cultural identities.
- To provide the students with the skills necessary for them to be successful in transitioning into an undergraduate program of their choice.