Planting the seeds: envisioning an academic pathway for Indigenous students in rural Northern Ontario

Abstract

My research examined how Indigenous students chose their post-secondary educational academic pathway, specifically the timing, type and amount information Indigenous students had prior to being enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs at Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario. This study utilized an Indigenous research methodology and quantitative method with a few qualitative questions using REDCap online survey. The research found that while current Laurentian Indigenous students had multiple pathways prior to enrollment at the university level, the results also found that earlier outreach might one of the strategies to closing the educational attainment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students at the postsecondary level. The study also revealed a need for Laurentian University to form close relationships with Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario to allow potential future students a way of envisioning the benefits and opportunities of their education pathway.