Oshki-Pimache-O-Win Celebrates Forty-Three Graduates on June 18 in Thunder Bay
MEDIA RELEASE
(Thunder Bay) (June 16, 2010) The Oshki-Pimache-O-Win Education & Training Institute will celebrate and honour the largest graduating class of OSHKI’s history on Friday, June 18, 2010. The 2010 Graduation Ceremony will be held at the Da Vinci Centre in Thunder Bay starting at 2:00 pm.
Forty-three students will be granted diplomas and certificates that will be jointly issued by the Oshki-Pimache-O-Win Education and Training Institute and the respective program partners; Negahneewin College of Academic and Community Development, Confederation College and Cambrian College. The students will graduate from four accredited post secondary programs. The two diploma programs are the Aboriginal Community Services Worker and Native Early Childhood Education. The two certificate programs are the First Nations Business Administration and Pre Health Sciences.
“There has been phenomenal growth at OSHKI” says Executive Director Rosie Mosquito. Six years ago OSHKI launched the first accredited postsecondary education program, the First Nations Business Administration Certificate Program, with Cambrian College. Albeit small, a year later, in 2005, three of six students graduated. In 2010, there are twenty-nine graduates from accredited postsecondary education programs. The growth in graduates in five years is close to 3000%. Rosie Mosquito stated “OSHKI’s unique education and program delivery model has successfully increased access to accredited postsecondary education programs to the First Nation people in remote communities and other learners in the Thunder Bay area.”
Fourteen students will graduate from the Basic Radiological Technician and General Educational Development programs.
Graduates will participate in a videoconference/webcast procession prior to the ceremony. This will give the family, friends and the general public, unable to attend due to the prohibitive travel expenses to and from the remote communities, an opportunity to acknowledge and congratulate the OSHKI graduates.
The Report on the 2005 Review of the Ontario Post Secondary Education System commissioned by Premier Dalton McGuinty found only 20% of the Aboriginal People in Ontario has a college education. Ken Neegan, Acting Chair of OSHKI, stated “the Governing Council is proud of our success in increasing the graduation rates of Aboriginal People who will become meaningfully engaged in the economies of their communities and Canada at large.”
Established by Nishnawbe Aski Nation, OSHKI is an independent Aboriginal Education and Training Institute that provides excellence in post secondary education that responds to the educational and cultural needs of the members through a holistic approach to lifelong learning.
For more information please contact:
Rosie S. Mosquito, Executive Director,
Oshki-Pimache-O-Win Education & Training Institute
(807) 626 1889 office, or
(807) 621 8523 mobile
Webcast link: http://www.oshki.ca