NEWS RELEASE
NORTHEASTERN CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
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Members of the board of trustees, senior administrative staff, principals, teachers and support staff from the Northeastern Catholic District School Board participated in an Indigenous Cultural Competency Training session on Apr. 19.
In alignment with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action regarding education and training, the Government of Ontario has taken proactive measures to ensure that all Ontario Public Servants participate in mandatory Indigenous cultural competency education.
The strategy seeks to enhance understanding of Indigenous cultures and serves to inform policy and program decisions involving Indigenous communities.
The partnership recognizes that healing and reconciliation with Indigenous communities, first requires an understanding of the historic experience and current position of Indigenous communities in Ontario.
The Cultural Competency Training (CCT) was initially established in 2012 with the intention of providing additional capacity support to mainstream service providers who identified as serving a largely Indigenous participant base.
The response recognized the reality of 84.1 per cent of Indigenous people in Ontario residing off-reserve or in urban communities, many of whom continued to demonstrate negative outcomes in virtually every social determinant of health.
Such observations indicate compelling need for stronger engagement practices within all mainstream service providing organizations interested in supporting urban Indigenous populations in Ontario.
Since the launch of the Cultural Competency Training (CCT) in 2012, over 8,000 participants across multiple service sectors have now completed the training.
Strong curriculum, knowledgeable facilitation and an exceptionally high volume of positive response from previous participants has contributed to the establishment of numerous additional service agreements across multiple sectors including the Ontario Public Service (OPS).
Kristine Arthur, Aboriginal Support Worker for NCDSB, commented, “This was a wonderful training opportunity for the NCDSB family. The more training our Board and educators receive, the more inclusive and understanding we all become.”
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