[{"id":408,"date":"2024-09-25T11:33:57","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T15:33:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/?p=408"},"modified":"2024-09-25T11:33:58","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T15:33:58","slug":"niagara-colleges-new-centre-for-research-in-education-launches-this-september-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/dream-big-fund-project-spotlight\/niagara-colleges-new-centre-for-research-in-education-launches-this-september-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Niagara College\u2019s new Centre for Research in Education launches this September"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Niagara College, ranked as the No.1 research college in Canada, is now providing faculty members and educators around the world with the opportunity to participate in academic research through its new Centre for Research in Education<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Led by Professor Dr. Giacomo Folinazzo, from NC\u2019s School of English Language Studies<\/a>, and launched in September 2024, the Centre for Research in Education intends to create and disseminate new knowledge on education-related issues, with the goal of informing, supporting and improving educational practices. The first of its kind in the Ontario college system, the Centre is a testament to NC\u2019s trailblazing approach to innovation and research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNiagara College\u2019s Centre for Research in Education is designed to act as a collaborative resource hub for researchers and institutions to work together to advance knowledge on cross-disciplinary issues in education through academic research,\u201d said Dr. Folinazzo. \u201cThrough our research partnerships, we are developing both national and international networks of educators committed to the improvement of educational practices.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funded through NC\u2019s Dream Big Fund – an initiative designed to support and cultivate trailblazing ideas that align with the key areas of focus in the College\u2019s Strategic Plan<\/a> \u2013 the Centre for Research in Education will also enrich the wholistic student learning experience through research-related opportunities that work towards improving existing practices, methodologies and delivery of courses across academic areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Folinazzo, who recently completed his PhD in Language and Literacies Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, has a passion for developing the field of language education that spans more than two decades. With more than 20 years of experience teaching languages across Canada, Italy and Japan, coupled with his research on Mediation and Mediation Strategies, the Action Oriented Approach and Theory of Plurilingualism and Pluriculturalism, Dr. Folinazzo is eager to support research that will improve how language is both learned and taught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Centre for Research in Education has been a dream of mine since 2018 when I discovered my passion for academic research and the endless possibilities and opportunities it provides,\u201d said Dr. Folinazzo. \u201cI\u2019m very thankful to Niagara College and the Dream Big Fund for seeing potential in this new Centre and for supporting my academic journey through the tuition assistance program and my professional development leave. This Centre would never have happened without NC and I am very grateful for the support and investment. The encouragement from my Associate Dean, Charles Voth, and Senior Director, Shawna Luey, has been invaluable since the early stages of the Center conception.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For its first project, the Centre is collaborating with six Ontario universities on the fifth Symposium of the Southern Ontario Universities<\/a> on \u201cReimagining Languages and Literacies in Education.\u201d This symposium will be held in a hybrid mode on Oct. 4-5 at Western University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Folinazzo will also be presenting his research on Mediation-based language teaching with an Action-oriented Approach in Catania, Italy, for the Lingua e Nuova Didattica<\/em> (LEND) conference this November. The study \u2013 the first empirical study of its kind in the world to address the impact of mediation-based language teaching – was conducted at Niagara College with English for Academic Preparation (EAP) students. He is currently working with research partners on several grant proposals to government funding councils, and he looks forward to a rich collaboration with NC\u2019 Research and Innovation department<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this year in March, Dr. Folinazzo presented at the Applied Linguistics Language Teaching<\/a> (ALLT) conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and was one of the few selected among 2,000 proposals to present at the American Association of Applied Linguistics<\/a> (AAAL) in Houston, Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyone interested in learning more about Niagara College\u2019s new Centre for Research in Education can connect with the Centre through its website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Niagara College, ranked as the No.1 research college in Canada, is now providing faculty members and educators around the world with the opportunity to participate in academic research through its new Centre for Research in Education. Led by Professor Dr. Giacomo Folinazzo, from NC\u2019s School of English Language Studies, and launched in September 2024, the…","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":409,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pgc_sgb_lightbox_settings":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"class_list":["post-408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dream-big-fund-project-spotlight"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":404,"date":"2024-09-24T10:15:29","date_gmt":"2024-09-24T14:15:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/insidenc\/?p=1229229"},"modified":"2024-09-24T10:15:29","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T14:15:29","slug":"niagara-colleges-new-centre-for-research-in-education-launches-this-september","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/insidenc\/2024\/09\/24\/niagara-colleges-new-centre-for-research-in-education-launches-this-september\/","title":{"rendered":"Niagara College\u2019s new Centre for Research in Education launches this September"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"the<\/div>

Niagara College, ranked as the No.1 research college in Canada, is now providing faculty members and educators around the world with the opportunity to participate in academic research through its new Centre for Research in Education<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Led by Professor Dr. Giacomo Folinazzo, from NC’s School of English Language Studies<\/a>, and launched in September 2024, the Centre for Research in Education intends to create and disseminate new knowledge on education-related issues, with the goal of informing, supporting and improving educational practices. The first of its kind in the Ontario college system, the Centre is a testament to NC’s trailblazing approach to innovation and research.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Dr. Giacomo Folinazzo<\/p><\/div>\n

“Niagara College’s Centre for Research in Education is designed to act as a collaborative resource hub for researchers and institutions to work together to advance knowledge on cross-disciplinary issues in education through academic research,” said Dr. Folinazzo. “Through our research partnerships, we are developing both national and international networks of educators committed to the improvement of educational practices.”<\/p>\n

Funded through NC’s Dream Big Fund – an initiative designed to support and cultivate trailblazing ideas that align with the key areas of focus in the College’s Strategic Plan<\/a> – the Centre for Research in Education will also enrich the wholistic student learning experience through research-related opportunities that work towards improving existing practices, methodologies and delivery of courses across academic areas.<\/p>\n

Dr. Folinazzo, who recently completed his PhD in Language and Literacies Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, has a passion for developing the field of language education that spans more than two decades. With more than 20 years of experience teaching languages across Canada, Italy and Japan, coupled with his research on Mediation and Mediation Strategies, the Action Oriented Approach and Theory of Plurilingualism and Pluriculturalism, Dr. Folinazzo is eager to support research that will improve how language is both learned and taught.<\/p>\n

“The Centre for Research in Education has been a dream of mine since 2018 when I discovered my passion for academic research and the endless possibilities and opportunities it provides,” said Dr. Folinazzo. “I’m very thankful to Niagara College and the Dream Big Fund for seeing potential in this new Centre and for supporting my academic journey through the tuition assistance program and my professional development leave. This Centre would never have happened without NC and I am very grateful for the support and investment. The encouragement from my Associate Dean, Charles Voth, and Senior Director, Shawna Luey, has been invaluable since the early stages of the Center conception.”<\/p>\n

For its first project, the Centre is collaborating with six Ontario universities on the fifth Symposium of the Southern Ontario Universities<\/a> on “Reimagining Languages and Literacies in Education.” This symposium will be held in a hybrid mode on Oct. 4-5 at Western University.<\/p>\n

Dr. Folinazzo will also be presenting his research on Mediation-based language teaching with an Action-oriented Approach in Catania, Italy, for the Lingua e Nuova Didattica (LEND) conference this November. The study – the first empirical study of its kind in the world to address the impact of mediation-based language teaching – was conducted at Niagara College with English for Academic Preparation (EAP) students. He is currently working with research partners on several grant proposals to government funding councils, and he looks forward to a rich collaboration with NC’ Research and Innovation department.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year in March, Dr. Folinazzo presented at the Applied Linguistics Language Teaching<\/a> (ALLT) conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and was one of the few selected among 2,000 proposals to present at the American Association of Applied Linguistics<\/a> (AAAL) in Houston, Texas.<\/p>\n

Anyone interested in learning more about Niagara College’s new Centre for Research in Education can connect with the Centre through its website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Niagara College, ranked as the No.1 research college in Canada, is now providing faculty members and educators around the world with the opportunity to participate in academic research through its new Centre for Research in Education. Led by Professor Dr. Giacomo Folinazzo, from NC\u2019s School of English Language Studies, and launched in September 2024, the [\u2026]","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pgc_sgb_lightbox_settings":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"class_list":["post-404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dream-big-fund-announcements"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":399,"date":"2024-07-30T10:14:56","date_gmt":"2024-07-30T14:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/insidenc\/?p=1202174"},"modified":"2024-07-30T10:14:56","modified_gmt":"2024-07-30T14:14:56","slug":"college-participants-to-travel-to-coast-salish-territory-for-immersive-land-based-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/insidenc\/2024\/07\/30\/college-participants-to-travel-to-coast-salish-territory-for-immersive-land-based-program\/","title":{"rendered":"College participants to travel to Coast Salish Territory for immersive land-based program"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/div>

From July 31 to August 4, members from the Niagara College community will embark on a trip to unceded Coast Salish Territory in North Vancouver to participate in an immersive land-based program designed to provide an entry point into learning how to put truth and reconciliation into practice.<\/p>\n

The experience – “Gathering our Medicine: Walking in the Ways of the People” – is based on a program called “Moving Together in the Ways of the People,” developed by Denise Findlay<\/a>, an educator, facilitator and consultant who belongs to the Skwxw\u00fa7mesh \u00daxwumixw (Squamish Nation). Findlay has travelled throughout B.C. and across Canada working in Indigenous communities facilitating processes focussed on collective healing.<\/p>\n

This is the second time that a group from NC will travel to Coast Salish Territory for a land-based learning opportunity with Findlay and her team.<\/p>\n

In July 2023, NC’s Indigenous Education<\/a> department and the Be World Ready<\/a> program collaborated\u00a0 to send 12 employees across the country to participate in a similar experience called “Decolonizing Pedagogies.” The opportunity was transformational for participants who were moved and inspired by the people they met and their teachings.<\/p>\n

“I am excited to journey alongside my colleagues under the care of Denise Findlay and her team who have developed a program centering ceremony and immersive learning to find meaningful and practical approaches towards reconciliation,” said Leah Hogan, Director, Indigenous Education. “Our experience in\u00a0 S\u1e35wx\u0331w\u00fa7mesh territory will make space for these important conversations while honouring Indigenous ways of knowing and being, which to me, signals we are ready for the next phase in our TRC work.”<\/p>\n

“At the heart of the Gathering Our Medicine program is relationship, creating an intensely transformative experience for participants,” said Maxine Semple, Associate Director, Cultural and Global Engagement. “Land-based learning offers the opportunity to deeply connect with our natural environment – one of our most crucial relationships. The Skwxw\u00fa7mesh \u00daxwumixw community’s unwavering care, commitment, and the demonstrated love they share and honor with the land through relationship left an indelible mark last year. Receiving these teachings from the community is a true gift, and I feel fortunate to be part of this program. I know our EDI catalysts will receive so many more important teachings while with the community this coming week that will support their continued important work as catalysts.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Funded through the Dream Big Fund<\/a>, this year’s trip is a collaboration between Indigenous Education and EDI and Accessibility (Human Resources) to support those advancing work around the College’s commitment to truth and reconciliation.<\/p>\n

Over four days, participants will participate in hands-on learning with and from S\u1e35wx\u0331w\u00fa7mesh (Squamish) knowledge carriers and elders, experiencing the pedagogical power and pathway of ceremony, ritual and rites of passage. They will spend time with a community of learners in meaningful reflection and dialogue on issues of decolonization, indigenization and reconciliation.<\/p>\n

Among the participants are NC’s EDI catalysts – Carol Phillips, Maijia Saari, Tina Annett, Bellan Dye, Tallulah Williams and Baljit Bhamber – who are working on action items associated with Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Being and Doing as part of the College’s EDI Blueprint<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The opportunity will help the catalysts find practical ways to take action towards reconciliation, supporting their learning as they take on key roles in the development of an Indigenous Education Strategy for NC.<\/p>\n

“I had the honour of participating in this experience last year and am delighted to collaborate with Indigenous Education to create space for more colleagues across the college to engage in such a special way with Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Being and Doing,” said Samah Sabra, Director, EDI and Accessibility.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

“This trip provides an avenue for learning to be led by Indigenous peoples in ways that reflect a deep commitment to truth and reconciliation as well as to respecting Indigenous sovereignty. It creates space to engage in learning that is holistic in its attention to intellectually and emotionally engaged learning.”<\/p>\n

Part of the experience will also serve as a train-the-trainers opportunity for Hogan, Karl Dockstader and Aria D’alimonte from the Indigenous Education team, as well as Jennifer Dockstader, an Indigenous Education Management Circle (IEMC) member and Executive Director of the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre. The goal is to provide them with the background to build a localized, immersive, experiential learning opportunity for NC students, employees, and community partners.<\/p>\n

“We are particularly excited to consider ways that we can partner with local First Nations to create a similarly profound learning experience for our NC community,” added Sabra.<\/p>\n

Hogan, Dockstader and D’alimonte participated in 2023, along with Sabra, Semple and Whit Ross, Associate Director, Educational Development, who will all attend again this year.<\/p>\n

From NC’s Executive Team, President Sean Kennedy and Vice President, Students, Dr. Chris McGrath will join the group in B.C, along with Stephanie Wilson from the Centre for Organizational Excellence and Michele O’Keefe from Athletics and Student Engagement.<\/p>\n

From the faculty and student side, Professor Peter “Dutch” VandenBerg from the Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film (BRTF) program and BRTF student Jayden Joseph Voyer will also participate and will film the experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From July 31 to August 4, members from the Niagara College community will embark on a trip to unceded Coast Salish Territory in North Vancouver to participate in an immersive land-based program designed to provide an entry point into learning how to put truth and reconciliation into practice. The experience \u2013 \u201cGathering our Medicine: Walking [\u2026]","protected":false},"author":229,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pgc_sgb_lightbox_settings":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"class_list":["post-399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dream-big-fund-announcements"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/229"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/399\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":391,"date":"2023-05-09T10:37:19","date_gmt":"2023-05-09T14:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/insidenc\/?p=951376"},"modified":"2023-05-09T10:37:19","modified_gmt":"2023-05-09T14:37:19","slug":"nc-launches-dream-big-fund-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/insidenc\/2023\/05\/09\/nc-launches-dream-big-fund-website\/","title":{"rendered":"NC launches Dream Big Fund website"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/div>

As President Sean Kennedy noted in his message<\/a> about the 2023-2024 Business Plan and Budget, Niagara College has launched a dedicated website for its Dream Big Fund<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Introduced in 2022-2023, the DBF provides seed funding for pilot initiatives, outside of regular budget allocations, and enables NC to more nimbly and quickly approve activities that support one or more Strategic Plan Key Areas of Focus and Actions.<\/p>\n

In short, the Dream Big Fund is enabling us to say yes to more ideas, more quickly.<\/p>\n

To date, this fund has invested more than $1.5 million in initiatives and ideas to enhance the student experience, foster academic excellence, support the development of people and expand experiential learning, helping boost capacity across the College in areas including research and innovation, community partnerships, fundraising and more.<\/p>\n

The website is a resource to learn more about the fund, including areas of the College it will support, projects associated with the fund, recent announcements, and the application process.<\/p>\n

Those interested in applying to Dream Big Fund can review eligibility, the approval process, and reporting requirements, as well as download the application form<\/strong>, which can be found on the website here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Project Spotlight<\/strong><\/p>\n

The DBF website will continue to spotlight<\/a> projects enabled by the fund, like the ones below:<\/p>\n

Enhanced learning in the Green Automotive Technology Lab<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the Spring of 2023, the Dream Big Fund enabled the purchase of an electric vehicle (EV) conversion kit to transform a 1979 Chevy pick-up with gasoline engine into a working electric vehicle<\/a>. This cross-discipline project will benefit Motive Power students through course integration as well as those from other trades programs through the Trades Student Club. As the automotive industry continues to evolve, this project will enrich students’ academic experience by giving them a unique, hands-on learning opportunity and expanding the capacity in the lab.<\/p>\n

First-of-its-kind Coaching in Education event<\/strong><\/p>\n

Leveraging the Dream Big Funding and a partnership with the College of the North Atlantic, Niagara College co-hosted a first-of-its kind event for over 150 educators across Canada<\/a> – including NC faculty – to learn about coaching in the classroom. This professional development opportunity – Seachange in Coaching in Education – took place virtually March 21-22, giving faculty the chance to explore the connection between coaching practices and teaching.<\/p>\n

New fitness technology to enhance athlete performance<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the fall of 2023, Athletics and Recreation received a special funding injection<\/a> through Dream Big to leverage technology – including performance trackers, heart rate sensors, and camera equipment – to help student athletes enhance and improve their fitness outcomes using an evidence-based approach. Equipment was purchased for both the Fitness Centres – for use by all NC students – as well as Knights varsity athletes.<\/p>\n

Indigenous Education Cultural Consultant (IECC)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The fund has most recently supported the creation of an 18-month Indigenous Education Cultural Consultant (IECC) role<\/a> fulfilled by Indigenous activist and community leader, Karl Dockstader. The role of the IECC will help support the College community to develop a three-year plan that centers around accountability and responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada calls to action, Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) protocol and the Indigenous Peoples Education Circle (IPEC) action plan.<\/p>\n

To view the new website and learn more about the Dream Big Fund visit, niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As President Sean Kennedy noted in his message about the 2023-2024 Business Plan and Budget, Niagara College has launched a dedicated website for its Dream Big Fund. Introduced in 2022-2023, the DBF provides seed funding for pilot initiatives, outside of regular budget allocations, and enables NC to more nimbly and quickly approve activities that support [\u2026]","protected":false},"author":229,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pgc_sgb_lightbox_settings":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"class_list":["post-391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dream-big-fund-announcements"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/229"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=391"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":387,"date":"2023-04-27T14:44:22","date_gmt":"2023-04-27T18:44:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/?p=387"},"modified":"2023-04-27T14:47:26","modified_gmt":"2023-04-27T18:47:26","slug":"dreaming-big-with-karl-dockstader-ncs-new-indigenous-education-cultural-consultant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/dreambigfund\/dream-big-fund-project-spotlight\/dreaming-big-with-karl-dockstader-ncs-new-indigenous-education-cultural-consultant\/","title":{"rendered":"Dreaming Big with Karl Dockstader \u2013 NC\u2019s new Indigenous Education Cultural Consultant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Niagara College\u2019s Indigenous Education Department is pleased to announce that Karl Dockstader, Indigenous activist and community leader, has recently joined the College as the Indigenous Education Cultural Consultant (IECC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 18-month Indigenous Education Cultural Consultant role is the first of its kind at NC and is funded through the College\u2019s Dream Big Fund \u2013 an initiative designed to support and cultivate trailblazing ideas that align with the key areas of focus in NC\u2019s Strategic Plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The role of the IECC will be to support the College community to develop a three year plan that centers around accountability and responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada calls to action<\/a>, Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) protocol and the Indigenous Peoples Education Circle (IPEC) action plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project is titled the Katsistiy\u00f3 or \u2018It\u2019s a Good Fire\u2019 and is about building an experience with Indigenous students seeking to better themselves and the communities that they are a part of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy main goal is to create a positive experience for all Indigenous students at Niagara College,\u201d said Dockstader. \u201cFor me, it is of the upmost importance to work with the College to find ways to address and adapt to First Nation, M\u00e9tis and Inuit student needs by identifying and implementing ways of knowing, ways of doing and ways of teaching to create a wholistic student experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dockstader is proudly Oneida, Bear Clan and has lived in the Niagara Region his whole life. He is also an alumnus of Niagara College, having graduated from the Renewable Energies Technician Program<\/a> in 2013. He identifies as \u201curban Indigenous\u2019 \u2013 a unique part of his identity which provides him with a special ability to connect and integrate Indigenous culture and teachings into the ever-evolving Niagara College community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are thrilled to welcome Karl to NC\u2019s Indigenous Education team,\u201d said Leah Hogan, Associate Director, Indigenous Education. \u201cKarl is active in One Dish, One Spoon territories as an advocate for Indigenous peoples and is unafraid to take bold stances on matters that affect First Nations peoples. He will be instrumental in working with students, community partners and stakeholders to develop a strategy to amplify the student voice and create a positive, wholistic student experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to developing a three-year plan, Dockstader will be responsible for collaborating with the Cultural and Global Engagement team to develop an Indigenous Canadian and global experience project, advising on the creation of Indigenous curriculum at NC \u2013 including reviewing and providing feedback on position descriptions and interview processes \u2013 and conducting traditional Indigenous openings at signature NC events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the immediate future, Dockstader is excited to connect with the NC community and to engage with passionate students who are eager to make an impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m really excited to tap into the idealism that NC students possess,\u201d said Dockstader. \u201cYoung people often bring a lot more to the table than they are given credit for \u2013 especially when it comes to having a social conscience \u2013 and I\u2019m looking forward to working with others who are motivated to seek equity and fight for greater social good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The creation of the three-year plan will begin with an environmental scan, followed by student consultations throughout the Fall 2023 and Winter 2024 terms which will inform the creation of a culminating report in Summer 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After completion, this work from Katsistiy\u00f3 will gift leadership, community, and future students with a guiding record that can inform and support Niagara College\u2019s work to respect Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Indigenous Education team at Niagara College is trying to do something different and innovative with this project,\u201d said Dockstader. \u201cWe\u2019re going to build something that is very specific to Niagara, very specific to One Dish, One Spoon territories and very specific to the wonderful and unique First Nation, M\u00e9tis and Inuit students that will participate in this process. Nothing is impossible in terms of what this final project could look like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEnhancing the student experience is among Niagara College\u2019s top priorities,\u201d said Hogan. \u201cBy investing in Karl and the IECC role, the Dream Big Fund has allowed us to commit to strengthening our relationship with our local Indigenous community and First Nation, M\u00e9tis and Inuit students as we build our reputation as a post-secondary institution that respects and honours Indigenous learners and walks in accordance with the Two Row Wampum.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dream Big<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

NC\u2019s Dream Big Fund is designed to support and cultivate trailblazing ideas that align with key areas of focus in the College\u2019s Strategic Plan, to boost capacity to take advantage of new opportunities, and to advance initiatives in areas including but not limited to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n