Taking flight together

EleV aims to make long-term change by providing opportunities and supports for Indigenous youth to stay in school

IN YUKON, 49 PERCENT of First Nations adults have a post-secondary qualification, compared to 71 percent of non-Indigenous people, according to Statistics Canada.

It will take fundamental changes to bridge the gap, and that’s exactly what EleV, a new program that’s been co-created with Yukon First Nations youth and Elders, is proposing.

EleV is the first program of its kind in Canada. It’s designed to give Indigenous students the same access to education and opportunities to learn and flourish. At Yukon College, the program aims to double the enrolment and completion rates for Yukon First Nations youth.

“We are honoured to join Indigenous youth on their journey to achieve their goals in education and beyond,” says Jennifer Brennan,

Associate Director Canada Initiatives with Mastercard Foundation. “Helping support pathways for youth means building capacity within communities. Supporting youth to succeed is about much more than education – it’s about fostering transformative leadership essential for the future.”

The Mastercard Foundation is one of the partners in the creation of EleV, which was developed as a collaboration between it and Yukon First Nations, Yukon College, Vancouver Island University (VIU), and with the support of the Rideau Hall Foundation.

In Yukon, EleV was co-created with Yukon First Nations, and that shapes what types of programming and services are offered.

At Yukon College, EleV aims to

• support 300 Indigenous students to better navigate barriers so they can stay in school,
• provide dedicated staff to support Indigenous youth in transition into education from care homes, treatment facilities, or the justice system,
• provide distance education opportunities that engage rural youth, and
• provide youth-led leadership development to re-engage young people in education. Find out more about EleV Yukon College at yukoncollege.yk.ca/elev.

Find out more about the Mastercard Foundation at mastercardfdn.org.