Indigenous students can be empowered to achieve success through a strengthened “circle of support,” write Amanda Street (Nicola Valley Institute of Technology) and Tessa Quewezance. Street and Quewezance write that Indigenous learners face unique barriers that can be addressed by a “circle of support.” This circle—comprised of individuals such as Elders, family members, friends, colleagues, or past educators—is key to offering individualized community-based assessments so that students can begin the journey to further learning. The authors argue that postsecondary institutions need to strengthen this circle by flexibly meeting learners where they are at, such as by bringing programming into remote communities. “We challenge other post-secondary institutions to look beyond on-campus learner support and engagement and to collaborate with Indigenous communities and their supporters to offer more holistic opportunities for Indigenous learners,” write the authors.
