Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre

Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre, located within the Helen Betty Osborne building on Ellice Avenue.

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WII CHIIWAAKANAK MEANS “PARTNERS”. THE CENTRE IS A BRIDGE AND CONNECTION BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG, AND ALL IT HAS TO OFFER, AND THE ABORIGINAL AND INNER-CITY COMMUNITIES.

The Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre is a community partnership initiative that provides educational and capacity building opportunities. It is designed to reflect our neighbours’ needs for an educational gathering place that is inclusive and accessible.

The Wii Chiiwaaknak Learning Centre is open during the day, evening and Saturday and provides the community with free and open access to the RBC Community Learning Commons, the North West Company Heritage room, community meeting spaces, after school homework clubs, and cultural programs. Each day and evening we see the needs of the community and the impact that our Centre has made in improving lives. This is evidenced by the number of Aboriginal students who are enrolling at our University, and the increased number of low-income students who are gaining access to educational programming. Aboriginal student applications jumped 24 per cent at The University of Winnipeg between September 2010 and September 2011. This has had a “ripple effect” that positively affects the broader community.

In March 2012, the Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre embarked on a community-based renewal plan that involved community consultations and the creation of an advisory committee. The community identified a number of broad dreams and emphasized three areas to which the Centre should direct its efforts in combination with different partners:

Literacy is a major issue in the immediate community with different approaches needed to support adults, youth and families to gain greater levels of literacy;

Supporting the Dream acknowledges that there is a need for community residents to better see themselves as potential University students. The Centre can play a direct role by being a bridge that connects community members to the University; and,

Safety and Sense of Connection recognizes that it is critical for young people to participate in different educational experiences and break down barriers that keep them from such opportunities. The Centre is seen to be in a position to help facilitate a greater sense of safety and connection.

P.A.T.H. WHAT WE HEARD

The Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre held P.A.T.H. (Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope) sessions with community and advisory committee members. The most noteworthy outcome is their broad dreams for the Centre and unique role that the Centre can play in their lives:

• It is seen as a place where community leadership can develop through opportunities for learning, mentorship and volunteering;
• Youth opportunities after school and in the summer are seen as a prime function for the Centre, including basic literacy, computer literacy, access to tutors, traditional crafts, Aboriginal languages and organized sports and recreation;
• The Centre is expected to be able to sponsor and organize (with partners) a wide range of community activities and events from information sessions to arts and music instruction to community cleanups and street parties; and
• The Centre should be a place where community members can come together to socialize, meet friends, network and connect to other resources and to The University of Winnipeg.
  

For a larger version of the Wii Chiiwaakank PATH.pdf
For a full version of the Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre Renewal Plan.pdf