Mount Allison University is partnering with a New Brunswick Indigenous education alliance to form a new Institute for Transformational Education.
The Three Nations Education Group is a collaboration between Esgenoopetitj, Tobique, and Elsipogtog First Nations. The group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Mount Allison to form the new institute which will, “seek to create a space for partners to plan, develop, and implement strategies to better support education and community-based projects for Indigenous youth from kindergarten to post-secondary across the province,” according to a release from the university.
In a virtual launch video for the new institute, Tobique First Nation Chief Ross Perley says, “First Nations people are economic drivers in this territory, and it is time this is respected and honoured.”
“The MOU between Three Nations Education and Mount Allison University was created in recognition that the status quo in Indigenous education in New Brunswick has not contributed to Indigenous students reaching their potential,” says Perley.
“An Institute will be created at Mount Allison to share ideas between the partners on how the education of Indigenous students can be transformed to address the individual civic and economic well being of our students,” he says.
The Institute will be led by Three Nations, Mount Allison, and R-PEACE (Research Partnerships for Education and Community Engagement).
According to its website, R-PEACE, “researches and develops pedagogical initiatives for engaged learning,” in the Tantramar area.
One of four R-PEACE founders at Mount Allison, professor of geography and environment Michael Fox, says that, “community supported approach is really quite a radical change for education.”
“We can’t just deliver curriculum from on high that has no connection to one’s community, one’s life,” says Fox. “We really want to move forward on this initiative of a personalized learning.”
Mount Allison University president Jean-Paul Boudreau says he is “thrilled and honoured by the partnership with the Three Nations Education Group.”
“The building of the MOU is the beginning of a core foundation for an institute built here at Mount Allison University,” say Boudreau, adding that it is, “part of a long-standing tradition here at Mount Allison University for building on indigenous education.”
“This is community led, and this is about community engaged learning,” says Boudreau. “We are building new opportunities here at this institution, to make a difference in our communities.”
