COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Program – Canada Partnerships

Expanding the CREation Community Support Fund (CSF), a community-driven grant program aimed at increasing the resources, opportunities, and capacity of grassroots groups to fill service gaps, provide essential supports to Indigenous youth (ages 14-29), and strengthen youth leadership capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indigenous youth will gain access to critical supplies and tools to support land-based learning and activities, new physically distant culturally-relevant training, videos and toolkits. Adaptive sustainability skills will be developed, and there will be increased availability and diversity of country foods and medicines for community members.

Increase access to technology and supports for grade 12 Indigenous youth enabling them to complete their studies, and develop resources and tools to help Indigenous communities engage safely in land-based activities. 

Enhancing internet and device access and other supports for students, and enabling the Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute’s capacity to share resources and courses free digitally across all Cree communities and beyond.

Increase access to critical financial, technology, and mental health supports ensuring student wellness and retention for Métis students. Student-led research will inform the future delivery of GDI programming in a more virtual environment and professional development opportunities will enable staff and faculty to successfully transition.

Establish urgent support system for Inuit youth in collaboration with each of the 4 Inuit regions to secure continuity of learning including access to essential equipment, overcoming connectivity barriers and transitional financial support for Inuit post-secondary students.  Each region will design and implement COVID19 recovery and resiliency plans for youth addressing summer employment and youth driven community support initiatives.

Read the announcement.

As a critical interface for vulnerable Indigenous families and youth, the agency will provide essential equipment, internet access, online tutoring and education supports through linkages with school districts, Friendship centres, and others, extending reach beyond the nine First Nation members.

Strengthen the capacity of the over 100 Friendship Centres to respond to the evolving immediate needs of urban Indigenous people and develop and implement recovery and resilience plans.

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COVID-19 has increased pressure on key supports for women and children in violent situations.  Distance healing services and other emergency supports will be provided to Indigenous women and their families in Central Ontario who have experienced abuse or are at risk of being abused.   

Coast Mountain College, College of New Caledonia, Northern Lights College, and the University of Northern British Columbia, through a collaborative approach, are supporting Indigenous students across Northern British Columbia to access mentoring and other supports, economic opportunities that assist others, and to enhance learning outcomes through increased internet connectivity.

Support the thirteen Aboriginal Head Start organizations across Ontario to continue providing culturally grounded early years educational resources and support to families digitally and by distance through the disruptions of COVID-19.  

Increase access to critical financial and wraparound supports to ensure SIIT student wellness and retention. SIIT and staff will be better equipped to deliver supports, virtual programming, and effectively transition to a more virtual work and program delivery environment.

Establish and deliver an Emergency Student Relief Fund which will be available for students to access during the COVID-19 pandemic allowing them to continue their education and meet the needs of their families.

Supporting Toronto Indigenous social services providers NCCT will work with TASSC to support a network of 20 Indigenous social service providers to continue to meet the immediate needs of the urban Indigenous youth, Elders, and families in the Greater Toronto Area during the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensure resilience and sustainability of Toronto Indigenous social service providers.

Increase access to the internet and mental health supports for Indigenous youth in Atlantic Canada to support their ongoing learning, wellness and resiliency through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Increase access to critical financial and technology supports, and developing virtual Indigenous-specific cultural and mental health supports ensuring wellness and retention of Indigenous students. Part of new collaborative across Saskatchewan with two Indigenous institutions.

This partnership will provide essential supports to large Indigenous student cohort at the University of Victoria providing continuity of education and supporting academic success, cultural connection, and overall wellbeing.  A collaboration with community partners as well as Camosun college will produce online curriculum for broad public access.