National mentorship program for Indigenous youth wraps inaugural year

The first year of the In.Business Program has officially wrapped up in the Eastern Region in partnership with Nipissing University. This program was founded by the Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies at Cape Breton University and has partnered with post-secondary institutions across Canada, including the Office of Aboriginal Initiatives at Nipissing University. “When we started planning for the National Pilot of In.Business, we knew we had to find institutional partners who share our commitment to Indigenous education that is inclusive and respectful of the local community cultures,” said Mary Beth Doucette, executive director of Purdy Crawford Chair.

“Nipissing University was a natural choice and we are very happy to be celebrating this milestone event with them and the students.” The mentorship program for Indigenous youth teams Indigenous high school students in grades 10, 11 and 12 with Indigenous business mentors. These mentors are educated, working professionals who use their experience and background in business to lead students through a series of online business challenges throughout the year. These activities help students explore various facets of business so they can make informed decisions about their future education and career plans. Throughout the program, students were able to tour Nipissing University’s main campus, participate in a presentation by the School of Business at Nipissing, and learn about the programs and services offered through the Office of Aboriginal Initiatives. The first year of the program came to a close on May 3 in North Bay at the closing conference. This two-day closing conference for the Eastern Region of In.Business included students, mentors and peer mentors from Quebec, Ontario and Nunavut.

This conference was the first of a series of five regional face-to-face conferences across Canada where In.Business participants celebrated a year of networking and learning focused on Aboriginal business. Furthermore, three grade 12 students were each awarded a bursary for $1,000 towards their post-secondary education in business thanks to the generous contributions from the Purdy Crawford Chair and Nipissing University. “This is the first year that the In.Business Program was hosted in the Eastern Region and I can already see the impact that it is having on our youth,” said Kyle Thomas, In.Business eastern regional manager, CBU. “I am hearing from students how they are now interested in business and that this program allowed them to go out of their comfort zones and develop leadership qualities. One teacher even expressed that for the first time, her student, an In.Business participant, is interested in school.” Following the success of the Business Network for Aboriginal Youth – Nova Scotia pilot along with the $5 million in federal matching funds announced in 2012, the Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business studies has expanded the high school mentorship program nationally to include students all across Canada.