U of A receiving $5 million to bolster programs for Indigenous youth

Photo: Richard Siemens. Sculpture: "Treaty Six Territory Marker: Bear Spirit," 2016; carved granite; Stewart Steinhauer.

The University of Alberta is one of 30 organizations sharing in a targeted $235-million donation by the Mastercard Foundation to support the exceptional contributions of organizations that are elevating Indigenous youth leadership and transforming post-secondary education with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities.

“This investment by Mastercard Foundation will advance the University of Alberta’s commitment to Indigenous-led initiatives related to teaching, learning, research, community engagement, and building capacity in Indigenous leadership,” said Bill Flanagan, University of Alberta president and vice-chancellor.

“This gift supports the journey of reconciliation and the need to build a strong path forward together where First Nations, Métis and Inuit students, researchers and communities thrive and succeed.”

One of the ways the university is doing this is through the I-STEAM Pathways Environmental Education Program for Indigenous Students.

Conceived in 2020, the program enables First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth to explore career possibilities while they do research in wide-ranging fields such as biology, technology, environmental engineering, policy and law.

The U of A will determine the specific programs the gift will support, but all funding will go to areas that respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, with a focus on advancing education for Indigenous youth.