Deadline: 31-Mar-23
Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) is seeking applications for the Partnerships Component under the Education Partnerships Program.
Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) supports the advancement of First Nations student achievement in First Nations, independent, provincial and territorial schools through the Education Partnerships Program.
Objectives
The objective of the Partnerships component is to support First Nations education administration and service delivery organizations with the implementation of:
- the formal partnership-related activities
- some of their governance and administration costs. Activities can focus on strengthening or expanding the scope of their services as they address the needs to advance elementary and secondary student achievement in First Nations, independent, provincial or territorial schools
Funding Recipients
- A funding recipient is a successful applicant who has signed a funding agreement with ISC.
Duration of Funding
- 2023 to 2024 approved funding will be provided through a 1-year contribution agreement.
- A given year’s level of approved funding does not guarantee funding or the same level of funding in following years.
- Recipients are required to report anticipated deferred or surplus funding to ISC by February 15, 2024 through the Deferred/Surplus Funding Plan annexed to their 2023 to 2024 funding decision letter.
Expected Results
- The expected results of this component are to:
- strengthen and maintain the partnership activities that support First Nations regional education models or agreements to address First Nations identified education priorities
- strengthen and stabilize the First Nations education administration organizations
Eligible Activities
- Applicants must clearly identify planned activities that will be implemented. Funding for potential activities will not be supported.
- As a purpose of the Partnerships component is to support the implementation of partnership-related activities, previous applicants must demonstrate how the current proposal and eligible activities will enhance or be a continuance of previous years activities.
- Partnerships funding may support the continued development and implementation of activities identified within the partners’ joint action plan or any other mechanism to facilitate the partnership or an agreement already in place with either the ministry of education or ISC.
- Developing First Nations provincial or territorial arrangements or strategies to improve programs and services for First Nations students attending provincial or territorial schools. For example:
- developing new or replacing existing tuition agreements with programs and service-type agreements that set out strategies and measures to improve First Nations student outcomes
- developing other strategies that do not duplicate existing core services, such as service enhancement agreements, to improve the outcomes of First Nations students attending provincial or territorial schools
- Mutually sharing expertise and provision of services. For example:
- sharing expertise in pedagogy and existing curriculum
- mutually providing services such as professional development and training
- piloting proven provincial or territorial initiatives in First Nations schools and First Nations initiatives in provincial or territorial schools
- working with other First Nations schools and school systems
- Improving coordination between First Nations and provincial or territorial schools to ensure smooth student transitions. For example:
- developing transition protocols or strategies to enable First Nations and provincial or territorial schools to track and support students moving between schools, such as a common student identifier linked to the provincial or territorial system
- developing data-sharing protocols, mentorship programs, guidance and preparation for students entering provincial or territorial schools
- coordinating First Nations and provincial or territorial schools’ schedules, policies and strategies
- Establish stronger links where other federal and provincial or territorial departments are involved, to assist with student transitions. For example:
- establishing coordination to facilitate better program links between early childhood, elementary and secondary schools, post-secondary education or labour market training programs
- establishing strategies for on-reserve First Nations students who are transitioning to off-reserve schools, including boarded students
- developing education initiatives or curricula in First Nations schools
- developing strategies, involving the appropriate federal and provincial or territorial departments, the private sector and other partners, to improve the essential skills of secondary students leading to job readiness and employment or to improve kindergarten readiness
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants who may be eligible to receive funding for this program are:
- First Nations
- any First Nations organization mandated by First Nations
- First Nations organizations mandated by First Nations must undertake, as a key function, elementary and secondary education support for groups of First Nations communities or schools.
- Applicants must have an existing partnership arrangement with 1 or more of the following:
- First Nations including First Nations organizations mandated by First Nations
- school board-like entities
- provincial or territorial ministry of education
- provincial or territorial school boards
- ISC
- Applicants must clearly identify their respective partners in their proposal and demonstrate that partners will work together on identified priorities.
- Individual First Nations or schools may be party to more than 1 proposal in each component provided that there is no duplication of activities.
- The purchasing of services, regardless of the duration of the service agreement, does not constitute a partnership for the purposes of this program.
Criteria
- Partnerships component funding only supports eligible activities and expenditures that meet the following criteria and proposals must clearly demonstrate that:
- all partners share a common goal and collaborate to improve First Nations student achievement in First Nations and provincial or territorial schools
- the partnership involves educators and education specialists in First Nations schools and organizations or in the provincial or territorial system the partnership is focused on 1 or more of the priority areas
- all partners agree to report on the results of the partnership to member communities
- all partners contribute financially or in-kind First Nations contributions can be funded in whole or in part through the program
- partnership activities related to supporting regional models or agreements
- all partners commit to practical measures to improve outcomes
For more information, visit Indigenous Services Canada.