Over the past two years, Greg St. Hilaire has collaborated with the Seabird Island Band to implement and deliver specialized adult education courses that cater to the unique cultural and educational requirements of the Indigenous community while developing a pathway to post-secondary education.
For his efforts, Greg has been awarded with UFV's 2024 Indigenization and Reconciliation award.
For Greg, department head of Upgrading and University Preparation, much of his Indigenization came from his early childhood.
"I grew up as a non-indigenous person in the Yakama Nation in Washington state," he says, "This a large territory. As a child, some of my friends were Indigenous, so I was around the culture and had respect for it."
In 2021, Greg saw an opportunity to build on an existing partnership with Seabird Island Band regarding Adult Basic Education (ABE) programming. Greg engaged in many conversations with Seabird Island to develop a proposal for an Adult Basic Education/English Language Learning grant.
He was surprised when he learned that his proposal had been accepted to receive the grant but knew this was just the beginning.
One of the biggest challenges in developing the program was working out a schedule that accommodated both students and faculty. Despite this, Greg emphasized the support he received from his colleagues.
"I was very fortunate," he shares. "We have some very awesome faculty members within this department. I've had fantastic support from my faculty and my deans, they've been very supportive."
His faculty speak just as highly of his commitment, highlighting his own proactive response to challenges such as inclement weather and resourcefulness to removing barriers for students.
After some expressed concerns about students' lack of access to the necessary technological resources, Greg procured and distributed several tablets, allowing adult students to access learning materials remotely without significant challenge.
He was also able to secure access to ALEKS, an online tutoring and assessment program that focuses on personalized learning paths over numeric test scores.
Greg's commitment to equitable education is visible through these actions and his own teaching style.
"Sometimes it's how students are assessed: are there other ways to see how they are learning? Can it be done through storytelling? Or for those who teach English, can they review works by Indigenous authors? There are always alternative ways to assess students, we just need to think outside of the box."
With this partnership program with Seabird Island, Greg has facilitated the delivery of courses that not only align with UFV's academic standards but also cater to the unique cultural and educational requirements of the Indigenous community.
The current program with Seabird Island is showing promising progress. Students who work through the program that fulfill requirements and prerequisites for university study and their Adult Dogwood.
Seabird Island has spoken of the respectful approach of the program has taken and the warm relationship that Greg has fostered with all involved.
"I'm seeing more participation, more doors opening up," Greg expressed. The program has expanded from Math and English courses to include offering a Computing course for Summer 2024.
Looking ahead, Greg sees further growth in indigenization and reconciliation efforts. "I'm hopeful that more work can be done with Seabird Island," he remarked. "And I'm hopeful that certainly in the East Fraser Valley, we can do more reaching out and connecting with the different bands. I'm hopeful to see more Indigenous students and even Indigenous faculty and staff."
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