TakingITGlobal

"When we come from isolated communities we lose that sense of community. Having that sense of friendship and family would contribute to student success. Connections with students and instructors is important for learning. We learn from talking with other students and learning from them too" Accounting for Diverse Lives "There isn't a lot of consideration of the traumas that we carry when we go to school. Each of us have trauma. If we don't acknowledge it, how do we move past it?" Throughout our conversations, many participants shared challenges experienced outside of school or work. Mental health was a significant factor in determining whether or not an individual was able to succeed in school or the workplace. Participants expressed feeling unable to access mental health support that was appropriate or culturally safe. One youth stated "Counselors don't understand Indigenous students and were more getting information from us rather than helping us. It just didn't really work". Students felt pressure to keep their personal circumstances to themselves and maintain academic performance. If mental health support was available, it was difficult to access, required a lot of administrative work, and usually took a very long time to access. The structure of campus mental health support was not seen as particularly effective as the sessions were usually a one-off meeting rather than an ongoing relationship with a mental health care provider. Students largely saw these services as necessary for accessing accommodations within the classroom, but not very helpful in a therapeutic sense. Many students also faced difficulty with accessing and sustaining adequate housing while in school. Students are often put in precarious positions when leaving their home communities to attend education and training programs. Some programs are equipped with housing for incoming students, which increases the likelihood that Indigenous youth will remain in their programs. When students are tasked with finding and sustaining their own housing accommodations, they may be able to stay with a community member or relative. Some students may also need to find independent or rooming accommodations, in which they will be required to pay rent which may be a new responsibility. Programs which do not provide affordable and safe housing options for students place increased labour on students which can overtake the time and energy necessary to complete their educational goals. It also increases the likelihood of being exposed to potentially threatening and unsafe housing circumstances. Future Pathways Summit Report 13

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