Mentorship programs for Indigenous students expanded at UManitoba, launched at ULethbridge

Two mentorship programs supporting Indigenous students have recently received the spotlight in the news. The Law Makers program, which is a partnership between the University of Manitoba, Seven Oaks School Division, and the Wayfinders program, has recently been expanded thanks to $16.1M in funding from the Mastercard Foundation’s EleV program. The program gives high school students the opportunity to learn about social justice and connect with Indigenous UManitoba law students, while earning both a high school and university credit. “I hope to see the Law Makers program as the first step – and many more programs like it in many different fields – so every student feels supported to pursue whatever career they want,” said AVP Indigenous – students, community and cultural integration at UM Christine Cyr. Meanwhile, in Alberta, the University of Lethbridge has partnered with the Influence Mentoring Society to create a new mentorship program for Indigenous students. The Influence Mentoring program aims to create better opportunities for Indigenous postsecondary students and create measurable opportunities for reciprocal mentoring.