Holland College and the Aboriginal Women’s Association of Prince Edward Island (AWAPEI) have partnered to launch a research collaboration that is set to transform Reconciliation practices across the college community.

The project is grounded in Indigenous research design, which embraces a community-led approach to centre Indigenous voices. The research approach and methodologies will be co-designed with Indigenous community members from Lennox Island First Nation with the goal of documenting Indigenous women’s experiences in post-secondary education.

The project brings together the College’s Office of Culture and Inclusion, Department of Applied Research and AWAPEI, cultivating a collaborative research experience to inform post-secondary institutional change.

Through conversation, focus groups, discussion and artistic expression, the project will examine barriers, supports and pathways to success, generating critical insights to inform institutional policy, programming, and culturally responsive practices. Holland College's Culture and Inclusion Advisor, Sasha V Nandlal, says the information gathered will be used to help enhance supports and reduce academic barriers for Indigenous students.

“Indigenous women carry generations of knowledge, resilience, and care, yet their experiences with post-secondary spaces are too often unseen or unheard. This partnership is about creating space for those truths to be shared safely and meaningfully. Through this research, we hope to strengthen pathways where Indigenous women and students feel supported, valued and empowered to thrive”, said Nandlal.

This work represents a meaningful step toward advancing Reconciliation at Holland College through evidence-based action, relationship-building, and Indigenous knowledge systems.

“The Aboriginal Women’s Association of PEI values collaborative research that is community-informed, strengths-based, and grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing.”  said Laura M. Bernard, Executive Director, AWAPEI (Lennox Island)

“Our partnership with Holland College supports the development of recommendations and actions that will strengthen educational experiences and outcomes for Indigenous women and learners across Prince Edward Island,” she said.

Dr. Alexander (Sandy) MacDonald, President & CEO of Holland College, adds, “College staff are very interested in what we can learn through this process. We want to meet with these women, hear from them, and better understand how we can best support them.”

As part of this initiative, the College will hire an Indigenous student researcher (First Nations, Intuit or Métis ), offering a unique opportunity for a student to contribute directly to community-driven applied research and systemic change.

To learn more about AWAPEI, visit https://wwww.awapei.ca

In this photo:(L-R) Sasha Nandlal, Culture and Inclusion Advisory with Holland College, meets with members of the AWAPEI staff & board; Laura Bernard, Executive Director AWAPEI, Pasty Gavin (seated), President of the AWAPEI Board, Alyssa-Jo Bernard, Project Coordinator & MMIWG File holder & Blye Perry, “Breaking Through” Education Project Coordinator.

For more information about this release, contact: 

Michelle Gallant
Communications and Content Officer
Holland College
Michelle@hollandcollege.com 

Laura Bernard,
Executive Director
Aboriginal Women’s Association PEI
lbernard@awapei.ca