University College of the North Launches Innovative Graduation Support Program.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2025
(The Pas/Thompson, MB) – University College of the North (UCN) is launching a groundbreaking educational support initiative to improve high school graduation rates and post-secondary access for Indigenous learners facing complex barriers in Treaty 5 lands in Northern Manitoba.
For many, barriers to education are rooted in the lasting harm of residential schools and the ongoing impacts of the child welfare system. This three-year program, delivered through the Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute, Oscar Lathlin Collegiate, and regional adult learning centers, aims to break down these barriers by providing 100 learners with more equitable access to high school graduation and post-secondary success.
“This initiative represents a transformative approach to adult education in the North,” says Doug Lauvstad, President and Vice Chancellor of UCN. “By combining wraparound support services with cultural programming and family engagement, we’re creating flexible pathways that acknowledge the unique needs of students in the North while celebrating Indigenous identity and building strong academic foundations.”
This innovative program delivered in partnership with the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada (CAFC) is made possible through a $550,000 investment from the Northpine Foundation. The program will place dedicated graduate specialists and life coaches at both high school and adult learning centers, working in close collaboration with UCN to provide on-campus, culturally responsive programming and support services.
“We recognize the critical role of community-led initiatives, family-centered approaches, and culture in creating safe, affirming spaces where learners from care can thrive,” says Valerie McMurtry, President and CEO, CAFC. “We’re committed to listening, learning, and mobilizing resources to accelerate long-term solutions that support the well-being of Indigenous children, youth and families in Northern Manitoba.”
This partnership is designed to drive lasting improvements in education outcomes while strengthening families and contributing to workforce development in Northern Manitoba, generating insights to drive scalable solutions locally and beyond.
CONTACT: Monte Koshel
UCN Director of Marketing, Communications & Recruitment
communications@ucn.ca | 204.627.8244
UCN acknowledges that we are on the traditional territories and homelands of many Indigenous peoples, in particular the Cree, Dene, Red River Métis, and Oji-Cree. Indigenous peoples have continuously maintained homelands in northern Manitoba since time immemorial. The First Nations in the area that UCN serves entered into treaty relationships with the Crown (within our region these include signatories to treaties 4, 5 — and the treaty 5 adhesion, and treaty 6 – located within the treaty 5 adhesion). The territory has also become home to other Indigenous peoples. We uphold the treaties and collaborate with all Indigenous peoples to share truth, reconciliation, and learning.