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IFA Participates in Sensemaking Workshop
Mentor Canada, in partnership with the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) and the Students Commission of Canada (SCC), is leading a three-year initiative, Mentoring as a Catalyst for Youth Employment, funded by the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Skills Strategy. The project leverages Sensemaking to build the capacity of the youth employment ecosystem, accelerating the adoption and integration of high-quality mentoring practices and mentorship opportunities. This approach positions them as a means of improving employment outcomes for youth across Canada.
Global Heroes: IndigiTECH
“The program works to create diverse and inclusive virtual learning spaces, which work to honour connectedness, belonging and mutual support so that we are all valued and appreciated. We believe in fostering impactful learning communities where everyone can access the resources and opportunities needed to thrive throughout our program, honouring each participant’s unique journey into both equitable and sustainable virtual careers and internship opportunities,” shared Katelyn Bartlett, IndigiTECH Mentorship Officer.
IFA’s Board President Danielle Paradis: Shining a light on northern climate change and more
ANNews) – In today’s ever-evolving media landscape, podcasts have emerged as a powerful platform for disseminating insightful and impactful information. Danielle Paradis’ path from foster care to becoming a prominent voice in journalism epitomizes resilience and unwavering dedication. The recognition of her podcast, “The Place that Thaws,” by Apple Podcast’s Voices of Change 2024, underscores her role in raising awareness about pressing issues like climate change. An accomplished writer, journalist, and educator, Paradis utilizes this platform to educate a global audience on the challenges of northern climate change through compelling storytelling and a steadfast commitment to environmental issues.
A Podcast From IFA Board President, Danielle Paradis: The Place That Thaws
The North has been seeing a range of climate changes in the last few years - from milder temperatures, changing sea levels and the loss of ice. APTN web reporter Danielle Paradis and Iqaluit video journalist Trevor Wright travelled to the Arctic last October. Danielle has been working hard on putting together a podcast on what she experienced while there.
Collision conference working to amplify Indigenous voices in the tech space
“[It’s] so important that we bring these communal perspectives in the design of technology but it’s [also] important to bring Indigenous talent to the table to have a space in and to have a say in how we can improve technology,” said Mayoral
First Nations artist explores ‘indigenous futurisms’ in his Woodland-style work
My artwork showcasing popular culture through a woodland-style aesthetic typically receives quite a bit of appreciation from other indigenous people. My woodland Baby Yoda in a cradleboard with the Mandalorian gained a huge amount of popularity, seemingly overnight. My woodland style ‘Bepsi‘ artwork that I created earlier this year sparked the same type of reaction.
Meet CBC Toronto's Community Champions, including a man who made an app for Indigenous youth
Alejandro Mayoral Baños, Executive Director of the Indigenous Friends Group, created the Indigenous Friends Mobile App in 2015 after realizing the need to develop a safe digital space for that community.
IFA Organization Profile
Founded in 2015, the Indigenous Friends Association (IFA) is a non-profit Indigenous organization that was born out of the need for Indigenous youth in an urban and post-secondary setting to have a safe digital space, and for them to be able to connect with fellow Indigenous peers in order to rekindle their relationship with traditional Indigenous values.
YorkU x IFA Press Release 2019
The creators of an Indigenous networking app will launch a new initiative designed to further connect and support Indigenous youth at an event this Thursday, August 1.
Passion for Indigenous pedagogy fuels Professor Ruth Koleszar-Green's work
Ruth Koleszar-Green’s conversation crackles with energy, reflecting her passion for Indigenous education and Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
Indigenous Friends App - ThriveHire
The Indigenous Friends App is a mobile application and social network that was created by an indigenous community at York University.
The Indigenous Friends App is a safe space for indigenous youth and students within the educational institutions. Indigenous Friends App has 3 main forms of action which are; 1) providing information on indigenous resources, events and maps, 2) creating and supporting indigenous social networks and 3) providing access to indigenous knowledge and peer support counselling.
Reconciliation on campus: what's the next step beyond inclusion?
Ruth Koleszar-Green likes to remind those on the York University campus how far Indigenous people have come in academia within a generation.
Koleszar-Green, an assistant professor in York’s school of social work, who is Haudenosaunee, recounts how her mother started at York in 1969, but the experience was so “horribly violent” that she did not complete her degree. “But now, one generation later, I’m chairing the Indigenous Council and am sitting at dinner with the [university] president, as I sometimes challenge her belief and understandings of Indigeneity,” she said.
INDIGENOUS FRIENDS TACKLES ISOLATION AMONGST FIRST NATIONS, MÉTIS AND INUIT WITH SOCIAL NETWORK APP
When Alejandro Mayoral-Banos set out to build Indigenous Friends, a social network application to connect First Nations, Métis and Inuit with resources, he realized the biggest hurdle was likely to be the divide in the way these communities share knowledge.
Connecting The Indigenous Youth
June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day and in anticipation of this special day of recognition, we'd like to highlight the achievements of Indigenous Friends. The group is working on a mobile application where students can connect to their Indigenous identity.
Indigenous post-secondary social networking app gets funding to expand
A social networking tool aimed at connecting and supporting post-secondary Indigenous youth has received an Ontario Trillium grant to expand its network capacity.
The Indigenous Friends Association, creators of the Indigenous Friends application, will receive $210,000 to expand over the next three years to universities and colleges across Ontario.
York U students’ Indigenous Friends App set to expand social network for Indigenous students
An app designed by York University students to connect and support Indigenous youth will be deployed in several colleges and universities over the next three years through a Youth Opportunities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Re-Imagining Innovation
IN THE LAST DECADE, the search for tangible and practical solutions to challenges of inclusive and sustainable development using science, technology, and innovation (STI) has been at the forefront of policies and programs by international and local agencies.
The York University Magazine - Winter 2017
York University is often praised for its multicultural community and interdisciplinary approach to academics. It was those two critical factors that drew Alejandro Mayoral Baños (MA ‘16) here from his home country of Mexico.
York University launches Indigenous Framework, appoints special advisor to the president on Indigenous initiatives
York University will further its commitment to equity and social justice with the launch of its Indigenous Framework and the appointment of a special advisor to the president on Indigenous initiatives.