Seeking candidates for Aboriginal women’s leadership program

Sheila Isaac with program mentors Cecilia Fitzpatrick from Fort Chipewyan and Pat Flett from Fort McKay at the Fort McMurray session.

Program representatives visit communities in northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories to find applicants

First Nations, Metis and Inuit grandmothers, mothers and sisters gathered in Fort McMurray, Cold Lake, Alberta, and Inuvik and Norman Wells, NWT, recently to hear about a new program specifically designed to help them become the next generation of community leaders.

“We are looking for Aboriginal women who want to make a difference in their communities,” Indigenous Women in Community Leadership (IWCL) program manager Sheila Isaac told the women who came to her information sessions. “Aboriginal women need access to programs that encourage them to take action on their good ideas, build on their communities’ existing assets and go beyond what they think they can do today.”

The IWCL program was kick-started with a five-year, $4 million funding commitment from the ExxonMobil and Imperial Oil Foundations in 2010. The four-month program, developed and run by the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University, graduated its first class of 12 in 2011.

Interest at each of the four sessions organized by Imperial Oil representatives was high but the women also came with a lot of questions. “What does the program cost?” one woman asked. “If I was accepted, how long would I be away from my community?” asked another.

Isaac, along with local program mentors armed with answers and applications, talked passionately about the experience and value of the networking and training offered through the IWCL program.

“I think the women were really pleased to learn that the costs are covered and we do our best to limit the amount of time our leaders in training are away from home,” she said. “Students receive a full scholarship, which includes tuition, travel, accommodations, meals and a three-month community placement stipend.”

To apply, visit http://coady.stfx.ca/womens-leadership/apply. Applicants must be Canadian Aboriginal women legally entitled to work in Canada with a minimum high school diploma or equivalent (GED). Successful applicants must also demonstrate that they have leadership experience through community involvement or volunteer work.

Application deadline is Friday, January 20, 2012. The next class begins in May 2012.