NORTH BAY, ON, Jan. 14, 2026 /CNW/ - In Anishinaabemwin, the official language of Nipissing First Nation, it's called "Maamwi Nokiida" and it means "Let's Work Together." It's the name given to the Indigenous Learning Outcomes (ILOs) initiative undertaken by Canadore College because the name embodies the spirit of reconciliation and reflects the collective approach that has guided its development.

"Over the past several years, Canadore has engaged in sustained, institution-wide efforts to advance reconciliation through teaching and learning," said George Burton, President and CEO of Canadore College. "Guided by the First Peoples' Centre and the Centre for Academic Excellence and Lifelong Learning, this work has focused on embedding Indigenous knowledge into the mainstream curriculum in ways that are meaningful, respectful, and sustainable."

"Canadore College and the teams who have made this happen have been building toward this positive inflection point for more than a decade," said Shawn Chorney, Vice President, Strategic Infrastructure, Indigenous and Learning Services. "Our current efforts build on our collective success including the work of past directors, faculty, and the Indigenous Circle on Education, with each action building on a strong foundation that is rooted in reciprocity, Indigenous-led outcomes, and partnership."

The initiative began with the development of four Indigenous Learning Outcomes grounded in Indigenous worldviews and aligned with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action related to post-secondary education. These outcomes were intentionally designed to be adaptable across disciplines, enabling meaningful integration between Western academic frameworks and Indigenous ways of knowing.

The ILOs were piloted in two programs—Early Childhood Education and Electrical Techniques—to assess how Indigenous Learning Outcomes could be effectively embedded across diverse areas of study at Canadore College. The ILOs are as follows:

1. Understand the Principles of Indigenous Knowledge;
2. Describe the Relationship between Indigenous People and the Land, and Interconnectedness with all of Creation;
3. Analyze the Impact of Colonization on Indigenous People; and
4. Evaluate Social and Political Reconciliation in Canada.

"Implementing two pilot programs across distinctly different disciplines enabled us to identify a scalable pathway for integrating the ILOs across a wide range of programs at Canadore," said Carly Renaud, Manager, Indigenous Research and Development. "For example, during the integration of the ILOs into the Electrical Techniques program, we demonstrated by drawing connections between electrical infrastructure, the geographic realities of Indigenous communities, and the nature of municipal support available to them, students were able to examine the impacts of colonization on Indigenous Peoples (ILO 3) within the context of Electrical Techniques."

"This work aligns most closely with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action related to education, particularly those focused on integrating Indigenous knowledge into curriculum and building educator capacity across post-secondary institutions" said Sarah Julian, Director, First Peoples' Centre and Indigenous Engagement. "Seeing this work take shape over time speaks to the value of long-term commitment and collaboration."

"Embedding Indigenous Learning Outcomes is both a responsibility and an opportunity—to honour Indigenous knowledges, strengthen teaching practice, and advance reconciliation through education," said Deidre Bannerman, Dean, Centre of Academic Excellence and Lifelong Learning. "This launch reflects collective leadership, deep collaboration, and a commitment to meaningful, lasting change."

Canadore College trains people through applied learning, leadership, and innovation. It provides access to over 80 full-time quality programs, has outstanding faculty, and offers success services to students from nearly 400 Canadian communities and 25 international countries. The College, its students, and alumni add $402.5 million to the Nipissing Parry Sound service area economy. Approximately 1,000 students graduate from Canadore each year, and they join 70,000 alumni working across the globe. Canadore receives less than 50 per cent of its traditional funding from the provincial Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security and relies on its own innovation and entrepreneurial endeavours and generous donors for the balance.

SOURCE Canadore College