Fisher River Cree Nation: Innovative solutions toward improved post-secondary education experiences and outcomes

Fisher River Cree Nation (FRCN) is located two hundred kilometers north of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. As is the case with many First Nations, its membership is young and growing and this leads to many opportunities and challenges. In an age where postsecondary education and training is a basic requirement for meaningful employment, one challenge is ensuring that students have the tools they need to succeed in whatever they choose to do. FRCN has turned this challenge into an opportunity, testing new holistic approaches that support students in both locally delivered primary education and postsecondary education that takes students away from their community. Through recent initiatives including the integration of indigenous content and languages into curriculum at Charles Sinclair School and the introduction of transitional year programming for high school graduates wishing to obtain postsecondary education, FRCN continues to seek innovative ways to improve education and employment outcomes for its members.