Since 2001, aboriginal students have participated in the WISEST Summer Research Program at the University of Alberta.
In this six-week Program, the grade 11 aboriginal students (from Alberta, NWT and Nunavut) have the opportunity to gain hands-on research experience. These young women learn about the many career opportunities within science, engineering and technology. Their summer experiences help them to appreciate what life as a university student could be like and help them to gain confidence that they would be able to cope in university even though they are so far away from family and community support systems. The Summer Research Program plays a key role in enlightening the students' regarding career opportunities available, and showing them that they have the potential to succeed in post-secondary education once their high school requirements have been fulfilled.
Essays by Aboriginal Students who participated in the WISEST Summer Research Program 2006, University of Alberta, Edmonton:
Raven Beardy, Cambridge Bay, Nunavut (146 kb pdf)
Katrina Singer, Frog Lake, AB (131 kb pdf)
Kasandra Migwi, Rae-Edzo, NWT (128 kb pdf)