About Us

We Are…

Aboriginal Access to Engineering Program

We know…

…First Nation communities are growing. They need more housing and hospitals; improved roads and runways; safe sewage and water treatment.To support this growth, First Nations need people who know the communities and can build the future while honouring the past: teachers and doctors; politicians and nurses; entrepreneurs and engineers.

We work…

…with the engineering profession and academic institutions, as well as government and business to develop programming which will encourage Aboriginal youth to stay in school and pursue post-secondary studies in the pure and applied sciences. Most importantly, we work with First Nations communities - students, teachers, parents, elders and leaders - from across Canada to ensure that the programming we produce is relevant and meets the needs and expectations of the community. Cooperative partnerships of this kind are crucial.

We have…

…a national mandate to deliver culturally relevant programming to Aboriginal youth and their teachers in remote, rural, urban and semi-urban areas. The Native Access has run summer camps, participated in career days and developed materials for use in schools. Current and on-going projects include:

• Engineering Education in Canada: A Guide for Aboriginal Students A great resource for teachers and students who want to know what engineering is all about, where it can be studied and what undergraduate programs are available in Canada. Also included is information about programs which provide support for Aboriginal students.
• Curriculum Materials Aimed at the high school level, Native Access curriculum sets (newsletter, worksheet and teacher's guide) are produced four times per academic year. Each set focuses on a different topic, and makes connections to math and science that are relevant to First Nations students.

We also…

… have an evolving on-line community where Native Access materials are available in interactive HTML and PDF formats. Students, teachers and community members can find role models, news, puzzles and a section about Ancestral Engineering on this Web site. Outreach is another large part of programming, it allows our network to expand and grow. The Native Access participates in local, regional, national and international events such as academic conferences and career fairs.

We offer…

… a program unique within Canada. While other access programs support students who have already made a commitment to post-secondary education, the Native Access focuses on reaching students at the elementary and secondary levels to encourage them to stay in school and keep studying math and science.