Discovery Week, OLI's second annual immersive
career education summit takes place March
3-7 in Toronto
TORONTO, Feb. 25,
2025 /CNW/ - Outside Looking In (OLI), a
national Indigenous youth charity that empowers young people to
complete high school through the transformative power of dance, is
expanding its slate of educational programming with the launch of a
new Certificate Program in Professional Studies, in
partnership with Sun Life. The new program is designed to
provide inclusive pathways to success by bridging educational gaps
for Indigenous youth living in remote communities, where geographic
isolation presents a barrier to career planning resources,
mentorship, professional development and career networking.
The Certificate Program in Professional Studies - titled
Future Leaders Next Level - is an evolution of OLI's
long-standing Future Leaders accredited high school program for
grades 10 through 12 and OLI's Alumni Program. The restructured and
formalized curriculum for OLI Alumni will now build upon on the
skills developed in the high-school credit program to provide
experiences, professional networking, and qualifications necessary
to excel as they pursue post-secondary education or in-demand
career avenues in today's competitive workforce.
Future Leaders Next Level students also have the option to apply
to take part in the second annual Discovery Week, an
immersive career education summit taking place from March 3 - 7, 2025 in Toronto. In partnership with Sun Life, 18
Indigenous youth from communities across Canada will take part in seminars, hands-on
learning, post-secondary discovery, and mentorship with industry
leaders at Sun Life, Microsoft, Amazon Web
Services, IBM and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).
Over the five days, they'll explore careers in cloud computing, AI,
sustainable resilience, human resources and post-secondary
programs, as well as learn about professional skills, such as
resume writing and LinkedIn profile development. Students will also
leave with a developed professional profile and headshot, courtesy
of Sun Life. This summit will provide participants with the
opportunity to interact with professionals, build networks, and
gain a deeper understanding of the career paths they are interested
in pursuing.
Future Leaders Next Level is designed by Dr. Hope Sanderson, CEO of OLI, who has extensive
experience in curriculum development and youth services throughout
her career, including as Associate Faculty at Royal Roads
University, where she conducted research to Indigenize
post-secondary curriculum to increase Indigenous student
success.
"The newly developed certificate program takes into account the
unique challenges that young Indigenous people face, especially
those in remote communities, who have historically been underserved
by traditional education systems," said Sanderson. "This
certificate will equip students with the career-ready skills that
are often difficult to access, empowering them to pursue meaningful
careers, start their professional networking and contribute to
their communities. This program is about more than education—it's
about creating opportunity and building a brighter future."
"By providing Indigenous youth with hands-on experiences,
mentorship opportunities, and exposure to cutting-edge fields like
cloud computing and AI, we're opening doors to exciting career
paths that might otherwise seem out of reach,"
said Laura Money,
Executive Vice-President and Chief Information and Technology
Innovation Officer, Sun Life. "It's not just about building
careers; it's about empowering the next generation of Indigenous
leaders who will drive innovation and positive change in their
communities and beyond, we're grateful at Sun Life to be part of
that."
OLI has a proven track record of academic success, supporting
positive educational outcomes for more than 1,000 Indigenous
students since the inception of its accredited dance program for
grades seven to 12 in 2007, and the launch of its Future Leaders
High School program in 2012. OLI has achieved high-school
graduation rates of 96 per cent among program participants,
significantly higher than the national average of 63 per cent among
Indigenous students and 46 per cent for students living
on-reserve.
Future Leaders Next Level
Certificate in
Professional Studies.
Future Leader's Next Level builds upon OLI's existing Alumni
Program (for young people who have completed an OLI program in the
past) with a formalized curriculum. The13-week course launched in
January 2025 and offers a
comprehensive exploration of five career streams:
- The Arts (dance, show production, set design,
lighting, sound, etc.)
- Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy (starting a
small business, accounting, etc.)
- Public Service (policing, justice, military,
firefighting, nursing, etc.)
- Climate Leadership and Environment (fisheries and
wildlife, etc.)
- Technology and Trades (welding, heavy equipment
operator, artificial intelligence, web design, etc.)
Each student is paired with a dedicated mentor, all vetted
professionals from various sectors related to the five career
steams. Additional optional program components include (application
required):
- Discovery Week in Toronto (18
space available)
- Performance at OLI's Annual Showcase in Toronto on May 9,
2025 (10 spaces available)
- 2-week paid employment to support the staging of OLI's
Annual Showcase and rehearsal camp in Ontario.
Forty-six students are enrolled in the inaugural Future Leaders
Next Level program, ranging in age from 17 to 27 from communities
across Canada including:
British Columbia: Nisga'a
Nation.
Manitoba: Garden Hill
Anisjininew Nation, Red Sucker Lake First Nation, St. Theresa Point
First Nation and Wasagamack First Nation.
Nunavut: Iqaluit.
Ontario: Couchiching First
Nation, Gakijiwanong Anishinaabe Nation, Matawa First Nations,
Pikangikum First Nation, Toronto,
Walpole Island First Nation and Webequie First Nation.
Saskatchewan: Ahtahkakoop Cree
Nation, Big Island Lake Cree Nation and Carry The Kettle.
Future Leaders High School
Accredited high school credit program for grades 10 to
12.
For more than a decade, OLI has successfully delivered the
Future Leaders High School program in schools in remote Indigenous
communities. This nine-month course features a rigorous and defined
curriculum with 110 dedicated classroom hours, as required to
obtain a high school credit. The program maintains high academic
standards, with students required to maintain a 70 per cent grade
point average and attend a minimum of 80 per cent of their classes.
The curriculum focuses on career exploration as well as leadership,
professional development, and mentorship to expand awareness and
access to post-secondary education, career training and
employment.
Students are paired with dedicated mentor and also take part in
weekly rehearsals to learn a professionally choreographed dance
that they perform during the OLI Annual Showcase in Toronto, taking place on May 9, 2025 at TMU's Chrysalis Theatre.
About Dr. Hope
Sanderson
Hope Sanderson holds a bilingual
Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of
Alberta, a Community Relations certificate from Boston College, a Stakeholder Negotiation
Certificate from Harvard and
MIT, and an MBA from Royal Roads
University. She completed her doctorate at SMC University in
Switzerland, in June of 2020. Her
doctoral research explored the governance of infrastructure funding
for First Nation projects with a focus on safe drinking water, all
in consideration of the role of traditional knowledge and
Indigenous governance.
In her volunteer capacities, Sanderson has served on several
boards including the Canadian Mental Health Association
(Calgary), Catalyste+ (formerly
the Canadian Executive Service Organization) and Ronald McDonald House of Southern Alberta. She was appointed by the
Alberta Minister of Child and
Family Services in 2005 and was Indigenous Board Member of Child
and Family Services. In 2012 she was appointed by the Alberta Premier and Minister of Aboriginal
Relations to the Council for the Economic Security of Aboriginal
Women. A synergist, effective problem solver and negotiator,
Sanderson is fiercely proud of being Metis and is actively engaged
in the Metis community.
About Outside Looking In
Founded in 2007, Outside Looking In is a nationally
registered charitable organization that empowers Indigenous youth
through the transformative art of dance, while they pursue
education, increase their mental and physical health, and engage in
self-expression. For information, visit olishow.com.
About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international
financial services organization providing asset management, wealth,
insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional
Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide,
including Canada, the U.S., the
United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong
Kong, the Philippines,
Japan, Indonesia, India, China,
Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December
31, 2024, Sun Life had total assets under management of
$1.54 trillion. For more information,
please visit www.sunlife.com.
Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New
York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the
ticker symbol SLF.
Media Contacts:
Rise PR on behalf of OLI
Andrea McLoughlin
amcloughlin@risepr.ca, 416.407.4321
Adrienne Kakoullis
akakoullis@risepr.ca, 416.450.6637
For Sun Life
Ashlan MacDonald
ashlan.macdonald@sunlife.com, 437.876.6593
SOURCE Outside Looking In
