Projects

Advancing Our Collective Work

Informed by feedback from our members, IAHLA is working to support IAHLA institutes and advance Indigenous post-secondary and adult education in BC.

DATA COLLECTION PROJECT

IAHLA collects data about its member institutes to document and report on the scope of programming and services being offered to support learners.

The information collected assists individual institutes in making decisions regarding programming and budgeting. It is also useful at the collective level to inform the development of a funding model for First Nations institutes in BC, as well as other initiatives.

In 2024, the IAHLA Data Collection Project will transition to a Student Experience Survey.

IAHLA began collecting data from its member institutes in 2005.
IAHLA most recently hired Directions: Evidence and Policy Working Group to complete this project.
For each data collection, surveys were circulated to all IAHLA member institutes.
See the archived reports

Indigenous Institutes Costing Project

As part of the development of the BC Tripartite Post-Secondary Education Model, BC First Nations and First Nations institutes must develop an Indigenous Institute Costing Model to determine the amount of funding is required from the federal and provincial governments to support First Nations-mandated institutes. Since there is large variation in the size and programming of the IAHLA institutes, work must first be undertaken to develop an institute classification system and funding eligibility criteria, as well as an appropriate costing model. This work will inform requests for core funding for IAHLA institutes, as well as other types of funding determined necessary to support the IAHLA institutes to flourish.

Indigenous Language Proficiency/Fluency Degree

In partnership with IAHLA and the First Nations Education Steering Committee, the Indigenous Language Fluency/Proficiency Degree Consortium developed a framework for an Indigenous Language Fluency/Proficiency Degree to be offered by First Nations and post-secondary institutions in partnership.

The framework directly supports First Nations language revitalization by providing a model that BC First Nations can utilize and adapt to meet their needs.
This initiative is vital because BC is home to 34 Indigenous languages, all of which are endangered.
FNESC has recently received $2 million from AEST to support the implementation of the program in community.
The recent funding is intended to enable students to be able to remain in community for the first two years of this program in order to develop fluency and access the support required to be able to advance to the next stages of the program or to other pathways.

BC Tripartite Post-Secondary Education Model

BC First Nations and First Nations-mandated institutes are now working on developing a BC Tripartite Post-Secondary Education Model

The Model that includes funding, policy, and program delivery models for students, First Nations institutes, and community-based program delivery, as well as mechanisms to ensure the public post-secondary system is responsive to the needs of First Nations learners. Opportunities will continue for institutes and partners to discuss the model, including the IAHLA Annual General Meeting and Virtual Session.

CONNECT
With IAHLA

IAHLA members are Indigenous institutes governed by Board members representing Indigenous communities, and they offer a broad spectrum of courses and programs. The IAHLA Board of Directors has temporarily paused accepting new applications for IAHLA membership. The website will be updated once the pause is lifted.