On September 9, the Mastercard Foundation announced a $5 million gift to the University of Manitoba (UM) to sustain and accelerate post-secondary education for Indigenous young people, their families, their communities and beyond. The gift is part of the Foundation's $235 million strategic investment to recognize organizations that are leaders in advancing education for Indigenous youth across Canada.
"With this landmark funding, the University of Manitoba is committed to continued collaboration with Indigenous partners, acting boldly to support Indigenous learners to thrive and to amplify Indigenous leadership," says University of Manitoba President and Vice-Chancellor Michael Benarroch. "This builds on our longstanding partnership with the EleV Program, which has been instrumental in our efforts to transform the experience and opportunities of Indigenous students at our university today and for all who follow."
Since 2021, UM has partnered with the Mastercard Foundation's EleV Program, which has supported the creation and development of initiatives that are rooted in Indigenous values and knowledge systems, strengthening pathways to post-secondary education, connecting youth to culture, and redefining what leadership means across disciplines, communities and generations.
This new $5 million gift will enable us to expand our reach, accelerate change in service of Indigenous youth and deepen partnerships with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. This gift comes at a time when Indigenous student enrolment at UM has increased by 10.7 per cent, rising from 2,933 students in Fall Term 2024 to 3,248 in Fall Term 2025.
"The University of Manitoba, with a growing Indigenous student body, holds reconciliation at the very heart of its work. Its comprehensive, deeply embedded approach reflects decades of work by Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Holders, students, faculty and staff. We made a commitment to young Indigenous people that we would walk alongside them to transform post-secondary education in ways that support them to live a good life. This exemplary organization is contributing to that change and to a stronger country for us all," Jennifer Brennan, Senior Director, Canada Programs at the Mastercard Foundation.
An investment in our collective future
Lauren Hallett, a recent Bachelor of Health Studies graduate and now a master's student in Community Health Sciences at UM, speaks to the benefits of investing in Indigenous youth. Hallett credits the Indigenous Circle of Empowerment (ICE) leadership program and Two-Spirits Talking (2ST) program with shaping her confidence, leadership skills and sense of belonging on campus. She says the biggest benefit of the programs was being able to learn from different Indigenous voices and find other people like her on campus, as it made her feel so much less isolated and alone as a student.
"I would describe ICE as a big family," says Hallett. "It gave me the confidence to be my authentic self and empowered me to step into leadership roles. It also helped show me how much my community has invested in me, and it really instilled that value of reciprocity."
2ST, is a space for Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer students to gather, share, celebrate each other and heal together in ways that respect and affirm their identities. "It's important to me because Indigenous and queer joy is sacred and resistance. In this sometimes grim social, political, and environmental climate, we need places like 2ST that uplift us and nourish our spirits," says Hallett.
Mastercard Foundation and UM: A growing partnership
Since partnering with the Foundation, UM has focused efforts on increasing access to post-secondary education in the places Indigenous students call home, made possible through the development of community learning hubs.
Other pillars of the partnership include strengthening post-secondary collaboration, enhancing support for transition to university life, connecting to culture, and building pathways to employment and entrepreneurship. Examples of initiatives supported through the Mastercard Foundation include:
- Where We First Stand Transition Camp for first-year Indigenous students relocating to Winnipeg.
- Indigenous Youth Mentorship Program, a culturally based, community-focused physical activity program for youth, with Indigenous teachings and worldviews at the forefront.
- Land and Water Program, an Indigenous land-based education program that brings together Indigenous students and youth, community members, knowledge carriers, and elders to participate in immersive urban land-based experiences.
- Bison Spirit Indigenous Leadership Program provides a supportive, culturally enriching, and identity affirming space where Indigenous students can explore and develop their leadership potential while excelling academically.
- Post-Secondary Club supports Indigenous youth in Grades 9-12 across Winnipeg high schools and creates a supportive environment where students can strengthen their confidence, explore career and academic pathways, and prepare for post-secondary education.
Transforming the future
A decade after the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Final Report and Calls to Action, it is an important time to reflect on progress and renew our commitment to the work ahead. The Mastercard Foundation recognizes this moment as a vital opportunity to transform education so that Indigenous young people can achieve their full potential. In alignment with this, the Foundation has also made a $25 million gift to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) which will enhance the Centre's ability to reach young people across Canada with reconciliation-focused education.
"You can't have reconciliation or decolonization without action, and programs like ICE are proof of the impact that happens when communities are supported," says Hallett. "Indigenous leaders will change the world."
UM is deeply grateful to the Mastercard Foundation for its trust and partnership. Together, we are strengthening, stabilizing, and scaling this work so that the voices, talents, and leadership of Indigenous students like Hallett can continue to transform our communities and our country for generations to come.
