POST-SECONDARY UPDATES

Aanii Students,

Welcome to the start of an exciting new school year! We are thrilled to have our students back and eager to embark on another year of learning, growth, and community. In this newsletter, you’ll find important reminders, updates, scholarship/bursary opportunities, and other relevant topics such as upcoming deadlines and events.

We hope you find this newsletter informative and helpful as we kick off the year. Let’s make it a fantastic one together!

Welcome back to another exciting school year! We hope you had a restful summer and are ready for a fantastic year ahead. Here are some important reminders to keep in mind:

• Mandatory Policy Review Session for New Students: Tuesday, August 12th from 6-7 pm - Specific details will be sent to your email when the time approaches. "Returning" students who have been funded before and are returning to a new program are welcome to attend but it is not mandatory.
  
• Required Document Deadline Date: Friday, August 15th - Please ensure that you have uploaded all required documents to the portal as outlined in the approval email you received (check your junk mail), on or before this date to ensure you receive your first monthly deposit on time.
• Book Purchases: Once you receive your book lists for the courses you are taking, it is recommended that you go in to the bookstore as soon as possible to purchase your texts. As a sponsored student you can report to the clerk and inform them that you are sponsored and they will confirm and set up your account so that you may start purchasing texts. Remember, required texts only! Please do not purchase any personal items such as clothing, food, drinks, etc. If any books are on back order or you are unable to purchase them at the bookstore, you can purchase them online and submit a receipt for reimbursement. Receipts are due a week before the actual cheque date! The cheque schedule is available in the portal under "Site Documents".
• Indigenous Student Services: It is highly recommended that you visit the Indigenous Student Services at your school to self-identify as an Indigenous student. These departments have education counsellors and different resources you can tap into as you go through your post-secondary journey! They may have workshops, fun activities, and other exciting opportunities! They can also direct you to the appropriate departments, programs or services if you are looking for assistance with something in particular. Please go in and touch base with them, they would be happy to meet you! 😊
• Accessibility Services: If you need extra assistance academically, or had an Individual Education Plan (IEP) in high school, it would be a great idea to visit the Accessibility Services Office on campus. Please call them to set up an appointment well in advance of the start of the school year, so that they can put a plan in place for you by the time you arrive and are ready to attend your first class.
• Scholarships/Bursaries: Apply, apply, apply! 👩🏻‍💻 💲 There are many monetary resources out there for students attending post-secondary programs! Please check out your school's financial aid website to inquire about any available grants for Indigenous students. Also check out your school's website or do an internet search for any potential scholarships or bursaries that may provide you some much needed assistance as the sponsorship we provide is not intended to cover all expenses. You can also search specifically for "Indigenous Post-Secondary Scholarships or Bursaries". Most applications require the same type of documents such as an essay. So just keep using the same essay and tweaking it for each new application!
• Important Reminders: Communication is key with our post-secondary program! 📞💻 So please keep in touch with us! 1. New students have a mandatory monthly check-in for the first term. A link to the check-in survey will be provided to you in your email with a list of dates. Please remember to check in as it may mean a delay in your deposit if you do not check in for the month. 2. Our cheque schedule also has a list of important reminders so please make sure that you schedule those reminders into the calendar on your cell phone so that you don't miss any important deadlines! You can find the cheque schedule in the portal under "Site Documents". 3. Your Navigator will also send out periodic reminders or important messages so make it a goal to check your email at least once or twice a week for any messages coming from our program! We wouldn't want you to miss out on any great opportunities or important deadlines!

We wish you all the best in your upcoming school year! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your Navigator any time!

Warm regards,

Rona George
Lead Post-Secondary Navigator

For those of you who are new, we are thrilled to introduce you to our team:

• Rona George, Lead Post-Secondary Navigator: University Navigator/Manager, rgeorge@wbe-education.ca, ext. 227
• Janet McComb, Post-Secondary Navigator: College Navigator, jmcComb@wbe-education.ca, ext 228
• Vanessa Shawongonabe, Administrative Assistant: Our frontline worker and the voice that greets you on the phone! 😊 vshawongonabe@wbe-education.ca, ext. 231
  
  

We are excited to work with you! Please feel free to call or email us anytime!

(705)859-2010 or Toll-Free 1-866-832-9464

As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we want to provide you with some online resources that you may find helpful at some point in your post-secondary journey:

• https://www.transitionresourceguide.ca/research-schools Everything you need to know about accessibility and other essential resources across all publicly funded Ontario post-secondary schools.
• https://ofifc.org/friendship-centres/find/ Looking for a connection outside of school and living in a new city unfamiliar to you? Find a Friendship Centre near you!
• https://students.indigenous.link/resources A resource page for Indigenous students that contains links to websites that Indigenous students may find useful. Warning: Please ensure that the internet site is current and the link is not outdated. Not all resources may be up-to-date and current at all times.
• https://indspire.ca/programs/students/bursaries-scholarships/ Scholarship resource
• https://www.aboriginallegal.ca/ Indigenous Legal Services
• Mental Health:
• https://mentalhealth.csmls.org/i-am-a-student/
• https://ontario.cmha.ca/mental-health/
• https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/mental-health-services/mental-health-get-help.html

And don't forget to "Google"! Sometimes all it takes is entering a few key words into the search engine to find what you're looking for!

What better way to navigate your post-secondary journey then with a little helpful advice from your peers! This month's tips came from Kieran Stark, Waasaaganashkang, Bear Clan, incoming medical student at the University of Ottawa. Chi-Miigwech, Kieran! This is greatly appreciated! Please check out the following tips below!

• Tip # 1: General Advice for All First-Year Students:
  Starting post-secondary can feel overwhelming at first, but one of the best things you can do is build a strong support network. Seek out your school’s Indigenous student services — they often offer tutoring, mental wellness supports, and cultural spaces that can help ground you during challenging times. Prioritize your well-being, and remember that finding community, whether through clubs, cultural groups, or peers, can make all the difference.

• Tip # 2: Learning Strategies: Academically, take time to figure out how you learn best. Some students do well by reading notes, others by talking things out, watching videos, or teaching a friend. Here are a few study techniques that helped me and others:

• Active Recall: Instead of just rereading notes, test yourself. Try covering up your notes and asking yourself questions out loud.

  Spaced Repetition: Review material regularly over time rather than cramming — tools like Anki (free flashcard app) are designed for this.

  Quizlet: Great for making or using pre-made flashcard sets on almost any topic.

  Study Groups: Talking through ideas with classmates can help you see things in a new way.

  Office Hours: Don’t be afraid to go to your professors or TAs — they’re there to help, and showing up shows you care.

  Everyone learns differently, so don’t be discouraged if what worked in high school doesn’t work now — you’ll find your rhythm.

• Tip # 3: Premed & Grad-School Bound Students:
  If you're considering medical school or graduate studies down the line, it's important to be mindful of your GPA from day one and to plan your courses carefully. Look into the prerequisites you might need early on — it’s easier to prepare when you know what’s ahead. Don’t hesitate to reach out to upper-year Indigenous students or advisors who’ve walked a similar path.

📢 If you are a continuing post-secondary student and have discovered some useful information to share with your peers, please let us know! Sharing in this space can be a great way to provide useful tips for common situations that all post-secondary students experience. It can also be a great way for you to encourage your peers to explore new interests, discover hidden gems at your post-secondary institution or spread awareness of some exciting opportunities! We look forward to hearing from you!

We hope you enjoyed our first newsletter! We will distribute another when we have more information that we would like to share. If you have any topics of interest or you wish to share some tips, by all means, please let us know!

We are looking forward to working with you and to the year ahead!

Nahow, Baamaapii Kaawaabminim!

Okay, See You All Again Later!

Post-Secondary Student Support Services Team