NEWS & EVENTS
July 2, 2015 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TYENDINAGA, ON – Thursday’s provincial announcement of $5 million in funding for Aboriginal owned and operated learning institutes in Ontario will have a positive impact on FNTI’s ability to provide post-secondary education programs to Aboriginal learners across the province.
FNTI, First Nations Technical Institute, is one of nine institutes eligible for funding. Suzanne Brant, FNTI’s Vice President Academics, responded to the announcement saying, “It is great to see the provincial government recognize the value of Aboriginal educational institutions and the role they play in community capacity building.”
The funding announcement was part of a three-year $97 million commitment made by the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities Reza Moridi and Minister of Aboriginal Affairs David Zimmer, at Six Nations Polytechnic in Ohsweken on June 25, 2015.
Brant says ongoing dialogue between the province and Indigenous educational groups, like the Aboriginal Institutes Consortium, helped establish priorities, including the need for stable funding.
“FNTI recently received a cut in our federal funding and so this provincial funding is vital to ensure we can continue and improve access for Aboriginal learners to our Indigenous post-secondary programs,” Brant commented.
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First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI) is an aboriginal-owned, accredited educational institute whose mission is to offer unique educational experiences, rooted in Indigenous knowledge, to enhance the capacity and strength of learners and communities. FNTI’S main campus in on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory in Tyendinaga, Ontario.
In partnership with several Ontario colleges and universities, FNTI delivers post-secondary programs across Ontario, wherever numbers and needs dictate. The majority of post-secondary programs are presented in an intensive mode – class sessions usually take place over a one-week period (5 days), every month, or every other month, during the academic year. We provide culturally-rich curriculum and learning environments. Ceremonies, celebrations, circles and traditional activities are integrated into learning experiences.