Indspire

Indspire, formerly known as the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (NAAF),[1] is a national Indigenous registered charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people for the long-term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada.

About

Indspire’s vision is to enrich Canada through Indigenous education and by inspiring achievement. In partnership with Indigenous, private and public sector stakeholders, Indspire educates, connects and invests in First Nations, Inuit and Métis people, helping them to achieve their highest potential. Indspire disburses financial awards, delivers programs and shares resources with the objective of increasing graduation rates for Indigenous students. Indspire serves First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students in remote communities, rural areas and urban centres across Canada. Its Educator Resources serve educators, communities, rural areas and other stakeholders who are committed to improving kindergarten to Grade 12 Indigenous student success. Indspire strategic priorities are to continuously improve its programs and initiatives to produce outstanding Indigenous education and positive socioeconomic outcomes (program); increase its investment in people, technology and other resources to achieve its vision and mission, and to enhance its impact (capacity); continue as a catalyst for Indigenous people achieving their potential by forging meaningful partnerships (collaboration); enhance recognition of its innovative leadership in Indigenous education and achievement (awareness); and continue to build financial sustainability as the organization of choice for funders of Indigenous education and achievement toward reconciliation (resources).

President & CEO

On September 18, it was announced Mike DeGagne would replace Roberta Jamieson to become the president and CEO of Indspire. DeGagne formerly was the President of Yukon University and Nipissing University.[2]

Initiatives

Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries, Scholarships & Awards

Building Brighter Futures (BBF) is a financial assistance program for First Nations, Inuit and Métis students enrolled in an accredited post-secondary education or trades program across Canada. The types of financial assistance provided by the program are bursaries, scholarships, awards and incentives. And when Indigenous youth receive the financial support they need to complete their education, they thrive personally, they enrich their communities and they contribute to Canada’s overall economic and social well-being. All Building Brighter Futures program donations are matched by the Government of Canada.

Outside the Canadian federal government, Indspire provides the largest post-secondary education funding through its BFF program. In 2018–19, Indspire awarded $16.3 million through 5,553 awards and scholarships to First Nations, Inuit and Métis students across Canada.

The BFF program has been in existence since 1985. Indspire originally provided funds primarily to students studying the fine arts. Today, through the BBF program, Indspire provides financial support to students in diverse areas of study, including trades, apprenticeships, science, technology, engineering, the arts and math.

Research Knowledge Nest

The Indspire Research Knowledge Nest is the first Indigenous research program of its kind developed in Canada. With data analysis skills rapidly becoming critical to economic success, the Research Nest is poised to seize this original opportunity to foster Indigenous engagement and leadership in quantitative research and data science roles.

The Research Nest team works with partners and collaborators to establish a training program that delivers mentorship and work experience to early career Indigenous researchers and data scientists. Its mission is twofold: to improve Indigenous educational attainment, labour market outcomes and community prosperity through groundbreaking Indigenous research; and to hire, train and support the next generation of Indigenous researchers. Through the Research Nest, Indigenous post-secondary students and recent graduates receive hands-on training to leverage Indspire’s data holdings to answer pressing education and labour-market questions currently facing First Nations, Inuit and Métis (FNIM) communities.

Through the Research Nest, Indspire will provide a customized 12-month training and mentorship program to 12 post-secondary Indigenous research assistants over the three-year initiative. In supporting the careers and professional development of the project participants, the Research Nest is fostering Indigenous engagement and leadership in quantitative research on topics important to the well-being of all Canadians.

The program will be guided by an Advisory Committee of researchers, leaders and key stakeholders who will provide direction and input on the development of this important initiative. In partnership with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, the Research Nest will explore the linkages between Indigenous economic development and education, exploring new insights into opportunities across a variety of sectors.

Rivers to Success

Indspire’s vision is to enrich Canada through Indigenous education, inspiring achievement at all educational levels across all geographical regions of Canada. The guiding principle of Indspire’s North Star — “every student will graduate in a generation” — is enshrined in the Rivers to Success: Indigenous Student Mentorship (R2S) program.

The R2S program is a mentorship and guidance program that provides a support system for Indigenous students to ensure their success as they graduate and begin their careers. Students have access to Indigenous professionals and resources helping them to prioritize their development, while maintaining connections to their cultures and communities.

In 2018, Indspire learned more about the realities of Indigenous students and their needs in the Truth and Reconciliation in Post-Secondary Settings: Student Experience (TRSE) survey report. First Nations, Inuit and Métis students from across the country told Indspire what they need for academic success via the TRSE — and Indspire listened. The R2S program, with its three separate streams (high-school, post-secondary and career transition) and customized cultural resources, is the result. The high-school stream is for First Nations, Inuit, or Métis students in Grades 10–12. The post-secondary stream is for First Nations, Inuit or Métis students who are about to begin post-secondary studies — or who are already there. And the career transition stream is for First Nations, Inuit or Métis students getting ready to graduate and start their career. The program provides a strong support system to ensure the sustained success of Indigenous students as they graduate and go on to become the leaders of tomorrow. Indspire is uniquely positioned to offer this support; it is a national Indigenous organization grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and trusted by Indigenous students.

With R2S, students have access to Elders, Indigenous mentors, more than 300 Indigenous Laureates and more than 37,500 Indigenous Building Brighter Futures program alumni. Connecting with these resources enable students to prioritize their own development, seek out exciting opportunities and ultimately achieve success in their chosen fields — all while maintaining essential connections to their cultures and communities. The R2S team works with valued partners to deliver this program’s exclusive blend of mentorship, guidance and customized cultural resources to First Nations, Inuit and Métis high-school and post-secondary students.

Indspire Awards

The annual Indspire Awards are a celebration of Indigenous excellence that recognize the accomplishments of 10 First Nations, Inuit and Métis change-makers. Through these awards, Indspire is able to share their stories, in the hopes that their work and their words will uplift, educate and inspire all Canadians, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, about the important contributions Indigenous people make to Canada. The Indspire Awards represent the highest honour the Indigenous community bestows upon its own people who have made significant contributions to Indigenous education, culture, business, health, law, sports and public service in Canada. As well, three youth awards are given to First Nations, Inuit and Métis role models. And an award is also given to honour one individual’s significant lifetime achievements.

After 27 years, the Indspire Awards have honoured 373 First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals who demonstrate outstanding achievement. The show is a nationally broadcast celebration of culture showcasing the diversity of Indigenous peoples in Canada, including performances by Canada’s biggest names in Indigenous entertainment, and its executive producer is Indspire’s president and CEO, Roberta Jamieson