SASKATCHEWAN POLYTECHNIC
Looking inward to propel Indigenous students forward at Saskatchewan Polytechnic

International Education Week showcases the impact that international education has in preparing students for the world and supports international engagement efforts both at home and through travel. Saskatchewan Polytechnic's Global Engagement Plan pinpoints study abroad opportunities for its students as a key objective. Travel-based study give students a wealth of opportunity beyond their curricular program learning and today's employers are increasingly looking for graduates with global skills. Studying abroad can provide students with experience and perspective that benefit both employer and employee including intercultural communication skills, greater flexibility and increased global knowledge.

Image Credit: Saskatchewan Polytechnic
 

Typically, 40 to 50 Sask Polytech students experience intercultural learning through study abroad each year. Until recently, Indigenous participation lagged non-Indigenous student numbers. To determine why, Sask Polytech's director of international partnerships and projects, Angela Wojcichowsky, conducted a research-based project with her team in 2020-21. "Our goals were to identify barriers Indigenous students encounter with study abroad opportunities," she says, "and then develop and implement a strategy to support student mobility for this demographic."

Indigenous students make up nearly 20 per cent of Sask Polytech's student population. Data collected through Wojcichowsky's survey of Indigenous students showed that nearly half of respondents were interested in study abroad, yet very few participated. Their reasons varied, but data indicated that most were first generation learners, many from remote areas. Cost was identified as the main barrier for 85 per cent of respondents. Family or work responsibilities and fear of travelling were also named as challenges. Many students, notes Wojcichowsky, simply didn't have the knowledge or capacity required to apply and prepare for international travel.

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