July 30, 2025

The Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF) and the Mastercard Foundation have announced an $8.6M investment in support of 12 Indigenous-led partnerships focused on recruiting and retaining Indigenous teachers. The partnerships involve educational institutions usch as the First Nation School Board, First Nations University of Canada, Frontier School Division, the Louis Riel Institute, Matawa Education, Memorial University, the University of Alberta, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Manitoba, as well as the under-development Inuit Nunangat University. These partners will engage in projects focused on preparing and certifying Indigenous teachers, supporting students and educators, strengthening instruction in Indigenous languages, and reinforcing Indigenous-led education systems across Canada. “Indigenous youth are telling us loud and clear: they want to learn from educators who reflect their communities and worldviews,” said RHF Board Director Dr Annette Trimbee. “This is about supporting educators who carry cultural wisdom into classrooms and creating spaces where all students can thrive.”

The First Nations Health Consortium, the University of Alberta, and the University of Calgary have signed a memorandum of relational understanding to launch a collaborative Indigenous-led research partnership. The purpose of this collaboration is to improve health outcomes for children and families from treaty First Nations in Alberta. The signed agreement establishes a framework for joint research, knowledge-sharing, and innovation, and identifies the key areas of collaboration in community-led health research, capacity-building, innovation and technology integration, and policy engagement. “We are committed to a model of research that is community-driven and accountable,” said UCalgary Provost and VP (Academic) Sandra Davidson. “In this model, universities play an important role in supporting and amplifying Indigenous sovereignty in knowledge creation and application.”

SSHRC has opened its Indigenous Innovation and Leadership in Research Network Grants competition for 2025. The competition awards funding to First Nation and Métis not-for-profit organizations and postsecondary institutions, as well as Indigenous not-for-profit organizations and postsecondary institutions that serve more than one distinction. Inuit research will be supported through a separate funding mechanism. The funding will support multiple objectives, including increasing networking and collaboration among Indigenous researchers and communities and supporting efforts related to Indigenous knowledge systems and ontology, epistemology, and methodology.

Six Nations Polytechnic and Wilfrid Laurier University have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen academic ties and expand opportunities for Indigenous learners in Ontario. The institutions will work together to enhance Indigenous students’ educational and employment prospects while promoting cross-cultural understanding among non-Indigenous students. SNP President Rebecca Jamieson said the alliance reflects a “shared commitment to serve Indigenous people in Ontario more fully, and to build understanding across cultures while respecting Indigenous self-determination.” WLU President Deborah MacLatchy called it an extension of the institutions’ long-term partnership supporting Indigenous learners.

The Government of Canada is reportedly working on a new vision for the Jordan’s Principle program and the Inuit Child First Initiative. The changes are expected to be presented in the fall budget. “My intention is to speak to both Jordan’s Principle and the Inuit Child First Initiative over the summer, and in discussion with both Indigenous leadership and Inuit leadership,” explained Canada Indigenous Services Canada Minister Mandy Gull-Masty. “Whatever measures we put in place to make changes from these programs, it has to be in collaboration with them.” Meanwhile, APTN News reports that First Nations Child and Family Caring Society Executive Director Cindy Blackstock is urging caregivers who were recently denied funding under Jordan’s Principle to review the reasons for the denial and consider re-filing. The call follows two separate legal rulings against Indigenous Services Canada, which required the government to revisit its funding denials and reconsider cases where children were refused funds.

Several school boards and postsecondary institutions across Canada are welcoming Indigenous youth to their campuses for camps, events, and orientations this summer. Many of these events are intended to help support Indigenous students’ transitions into the next stage of their education. Algoma District School Board, for example, brought its Indigenous Summer Transition Program to incoming Grade 9 students to prepare them for a high school journey with confidence, cultural connection, and community support. Meanwhile, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology hosted a camp for Grade 8 to 11 students from the Montana First Nation that introduces them to life in postsecondary education. Skills Ontario is also hosting a series of summer camps and workshops focused on the skilled trades and technologies, workshop days for Indigenous youth.

A research team at the University of Saskatchewan is developing virtual reality resources that will support education in the Whitecap Dakota First Nation. USask School of Rehabilitation Science Professor Dr Soo Kim and Assistant Professor Dr Stacey Lovo have partnered with the First Nation to co-create health science education VR resources with input from Indigenous youth and Elders. The project aims to create culturally responsive resources that engage children in learning about topics such as anatomy. “They are making it community-driven, community-based,” said Whitecap Dakota First Nation member Dray Bear. “Everything the students want to learn about, and tying in that traditional aspect, really pulls it all together.”

The Government of Nunavut has launched a new Nalunaiqsijiit Cruise Ship Training Initiative for Nunavut Inuit interested in pursuing a career in the expedition cruise ship industry. The program will be offered through the NU Department of Community Services in Iqaluit, beginning in November 2025. Training will consist of courses delivered in Iqaluit, followed by the opportunity to participate in a summer internship onboard a vessel. Graduates will hold the qualifications and certifications they need to work as expedition cruise staff. NU states that there are limited spots for the program and that applicants will be expected to complete an interview.

The Government of Canada’s Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne has reportedly discontinued his investigation into the PowerSchool data breach after the company agreed to take steps to improve its cybersecurity. Global News reports that at least 87 school boards across the country were affected by the breach, with impacts on more than 2,770,000 students and alumni and more than 35,000 staff and teachers. This included numerous Indigenous students, staff, and teachers across the country. The commissioner’s office stated that it “will be monitoring to ensure that all of PowerSchool’s commitments are fully met.” The Government of Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner is continuing its separate investigation into the data breach.

CIRA has announced that it has distributed grants to 13 transformative, community-led initiatives through the 2025 Net Good Grants program, including several projects being undertaken in Indigenous communities. The grant program supports projects that equip communities with the knowledge, infrastructure, and tools they need to thrive in a digital world. The funded initiatives include a project led by Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini to deliver culturally grounded AI and cybersecurity education to youth, educators, and leaders in 10 Algonquin communities; and the creation of a new Cybersecurity Operations Centre & Training Hub at Malahat Nation. “These projects not only focus on youth development, but will also train educators, parents and community leaders, extending their impact through intergenerational learning and institutional partnerships,” stated CIRA.