Governance

This past year has been another one of transitions as we re-adjust and emerge from a global pandemic. The past two years have required that Kenjgewin Teg teams respond to various challenges, and a heartfelt gchi-miigwech goes out to our Board of Directors and staff for always demonstrating our organizational values of commitment, creativity, efficiency, honor, respect, and teamwork to lifelong learning.

The year 2021-22 saw three key milestones being achieved for Kenjgewin Teg. The first milestone was meeting the quality assurance requirements of an organization review as required by the Indigenous Advanced Education and Skills Council (IAESC); this approval from IAESC was received in December 2021 after two years of self-study preparation. Achieving this milestone means that Kenjgewin Teg will be able to develop and create its own diplomas, certificates and degrees once corresponding investment and financial support is received from federal and provincial governments to do this work.

The second milestone reached this year saw Kenjgewin Teg receive a knowledge bundle from the University of Sudbury, which is commonly known as the Indigenous Studies degree. While the circumstance giving rise to this knowledge gift was unusual, the situation presented the opportunity to place and hold Indigenous knowledge within an Indigenous place of learning; Kenjgewin Teg was humbled to have been the chosen recipient of this knowledge gift of the Indigenous Studies degree. Implementation and delivery plans for this degree will soon be announced in the upcoming year.

The past year also saw Kenjgewin Teg identify and prioritize its work for the next strategic planning cycle 2021-2026. With the Government of Canada’s Education Transformation policy well underway, Kenjgewin Teg is moving forward on a new journey as one of nine legislatively recognized Indigenous Institutes in Ontario in post-secondary learning.

With these past year’s milestones, together with a new strategic plan, Kenjgewin Teg’s organizational structure will continue to grow under its three divisions of Lifelong Learning, Anishinaabe Aadziwin and Corporate Services. Managing and implementing significant growth and change will indeed be on our new horizons going forward.

In closing, we look forward to your ongoing support in Kenjgewin Teg’s belief that Indigenous post-secondary education will soon become what our ancestors envisioned it to be. Mino-sami-kinoomaagasiwin! Kina gwaya wiikamigasso maanpii Anishinaabe kinoomaagasiwin temgak.

Beverley Roy, Ph.D. (ABD), MBA, B.A. (Hon)
A/President

Ahnee Boozhoo Greetings,
I am pleased to report to you on behalf of the Board of Directors as Kenjgewin Teg has made significant progress in 2021-2022. As a Board, we have been active in overseeing and approving the appointment of an Executive Committee, approaching the strategy set forth by continuing a significant Board process comprised of a variety of opportunities and showcase key developments.

There are many highlights that have driven us to this place, and we acknowledge the hard work, success and achievements of Governance as per the following:

– being certified and fully accredited;
– developed, completed, and began implementation of
the 5-year Strategic Plan for 2021-2026;
– ensured second level of services agreement
completed and retained back to the First Nation
Communities;
– received a gifted bundle of courses from the
University of Sudbury;
– enhanced the way Kenjgewin Teg works and
interacts – engaging students, the digitalization
that has been integral to our transformation has
allowed us to adapt and pivot seamlessly to the
new ways of educating (during pandemic);
– growth in Indigenous led postsecondary education
and training in Ontario;
– joined the Post-Secondary Sector as a credential
granting institution.

Thirty-one (31) years later we have fulfilled one of the visions held by those that started Kenjgewin Teg in the early years. Those leaders truly envisioned a place of learning that would impact our young people and youth in providing them with education, employment, meaningful careers and training opportunities while inspiring our Indigenous ways of being and knowing.

Kenjgewin Teg will be there to support the wellbeing of our learners, who will obtain diverse qualifications and skills from training at our own Indigenous Community-based Institution. This will lead and contribute to economic prosperity, building strong communities and most importantly provide a high quality of life that we all aspire to in the workforce.

On behalf of the Kenjgewin Teg Board of Directors, we are extremely proud of the significant work completed by Kenjgewin Teg’s internal leadership and engagement with staff during the process in quality assurance, extensive time, energy and effort to complete key milestones. These accomplishments contribute to our commitment towards ongoing improvements and continued success for our students, families, First Nation Communities and partners.

In Partnership,
Deborah Francis
Board Chairperson