By Graham Cook
Indigenous student researcher introduces the new site
The Online Learning Community at SFU has a new addition this fall. The OLC website, which currently houses information pertaining to work integrated learning and career development, has added an Indigenous section to their site.
The Indigenous Online Learning Community website will feature programs, student services, traditional events, and other support for self-identified and non self-identified First Nations, Inuit, and Metis students. It allows students to share their stories as well as employers of indigenous people to advertise positions in areas such as finance and government, among others.
Laura Forsythe, the indigenous student researcher, spoke with The Peak about the new website. Forsythe said, “The indigenous program researcher before me . . . had written a proposal for career services . . . to build partnerships with organizations outside of SFU for indigenous opportunities for employment.” She said that she “started on the website this summer and went into the community . . . from there I realized that we needed to build more of a sense of community and have one place to go for the students to find out everything they needed to know.”
She went on to explain that this is superior to having, for example, individual places for careers, support, and advising. The students can come to this one place and “find out about events happening on campus, and find different, inspiring journey stories from all over BC and Canada.”
“One of the biggest bonuses we have with this is that it’s student run, those who curate the website are students, those who did the actual website design are students, and those who continue to add new information will be students, because every student can add to this website,” said Forsythe of student involvement with the project. As well as Forsythe, other students involved in the co-op education program, such as Alice Chan, helped lead the project.
Another major aspect of the website is the Indigenous Stories section. It includes postings such as the one made by the president of the Metis Nation BC, Bruce DuMont, titled “How to Become a Metis Politician.” He advises that one “must always remember how you help your Community and Metis Peoples to enhance their lives.” Also present is an interview with a 17-year-old Squamish Nation member working with the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre. When asked what advice she had for other aboriginal youth seeking employment, she replied, “Don’t underestimate yourself and your abilities.”
Forsythe added that she hopes the articles on this website will be able to inspire other indigenous students who may or may not go to Simon Fraser “to come here and achieve great things and build their capacity.” In the future, she said that phase two will be rolled out. It will include an aboriginal network where aboriginal students will be able to sign in and create profiles, and meet other aboriginal students on campus. This new feature will also help keep students updated on new information being added to the site and allow students to make an online resume to help with finding employment by allowing employers to contact them through career services.
