Education

Two Universities Make Indigenous Courses a Graduation Requirement for Graduation

Published

11 years ago

November 24, 2015

Some universities make students take a math course before they get an arts degree, just as some engineering students are now being schooled in the liberal arts.

Starting next fall, undergraduate students on two Canadian campuses, the University of Winnipeg and Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont., will be required to take a three-credit course in Indigenous culture or history to graduate.

It’s a big, bold move meant to combat racism and foster reconciliation in cities where Indigenous residents continue to face discrimination and titanic barriers.

“We’ve got a tough history in Winnipeg,” says Rorie Mcleod Arnould, a non-Indigenous student who is the past president of the University of Winnipeg Student Association (UWSA). “There’s a lot we need to take account of, and be aware of.”

Last winter, the student association and the University of Winnipeg Aboriginal Students’ Council jointly submitted a motion to the University of Winnipeg Senate asking that students be required to take one of the university’s 100-odd Indigenous studies courses before graduation.

They include courses on race and justice, one on Inuit art, and one that examines encounters between Christian and Indigenous religious authorities.

The approval came March 26, and followed months of emotional debate on race relations in Winnipeg, sparked by the murder of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine.

The Indigenous girl’s remains were found last August in a garbage bag in the Red River, just a few blocks east of the university. “Racism is unacceptable, and bigotry is unacceptable. This requirement is not a solution, but it represents a big step forward for the university, and for Winnipeg in general,” said Mcleod Arnould, 25.

Three years ago, the aspiring economist, who grew up in the white, middle-class Winnipeg neighborhood of St. James, took a class on inner-city issues. He remembers “choking up” after hearing an Indigenous presenter describe a vicious beating at the hands of white police officers.

“There was this entire side of Winnipeg I didn’t know about. Sometimes you need a bit of a push to look outside yourself, at what people around you are experiencing,” he said.

In Canada, “we teach history from one perspective,” adds Kevin Settee, vice-president of the UWSA. “That missing information is continuing to have a negative effect on Indigenous people.” Indeed, there’s a lot the country’s creation stories currently miss: the withholding of food from starving people to force them to submit to treaties in the 1870s, the virtual imprisonment of Indigenous people under the pass system.

Not all North-West Mounted Police lived up to their Dudley Do-Right reputations. “Right now, all you’ll hear is that we killed the nice Pilgrims,” says Lakehead vice-provost Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux, a member of the Chippewa of Georgina Island First Nation, on Lake Simcoe. “We’re simply asking students to consider other stories too.”

She believes the Indigenous credit requirement will eventually spread to other campuses. In June, after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded its work, University of Manitoba president David Barnard, the chairman of Universities Canada, published a powerful editorial in the Ottawa Citizen calling on universities to foster change at their “core.”

“Where there is racism,” Barnard wrote, “we must challenge it.”

Both Winnipeg and Lakehead have had their decision questioned. Lakehead’s engineering students didn’t understand why they needed to learn about Indigenous culture until Wesley-Esquimaux explained that “those are the very doors you’ll be knocking on when you’re putting in new mining infrastructure in the North.”

Indeed, there are 49 First Nations just north of Lakehead, with a population of 50,000. The school’s graduates will require an understanding of treaties and the changing legal climate.

Some business students in Winnipeg also expressed concern. For Settee, who is Anishinaabe and Cree and a member of the Fisher River Cree Nation north of Winnipeg, it’s important that business students, who might one day be charged with hiring, “know that we’re not lazy, that we do want to work, that they understand that these are stereotypes, and they continue to do a lot of damage.”

“We tend to get stuck on how this will impact non-Indigenous people,” says Wesley-Esquimaux. “But consider how important this is to the Indigenous community. For the first time, they’re hearing: Your history is as important as ours.”

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‘Raising a Child Shouldn’t Break the Bank’: California Is Helping Families Save on Childcare Costs

California has implemented new fee schedules and expanded programs to reduce the financial burden of childcare for families across the state. Under recent reforms, many households qualifying for subsidized care have seen their annual fees eliminated entirely. The state has also introduced universal transitional kindergarten and increased access to before- and after-school enrichment. Despite these investments in facilities and provider benefits, affordability remains a persistent challenge for many residents as the state works to bridge existing gaps in care. Read more.

Published

1 week ago

October 25, 2026

Post News Group

By Bo Tefu,, California Black Media

California families are paying less for subsidized childcare under new fee schedules introduced since 2019, according to information from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).

The state has expanded subsidized childcare, introduced free transitional kindergarten for 4-year-olds, and increased access to before- and after-school programs as part of broader efforts to reduce the financial burden of raising children. However, childcare affordability remains a challenge for many families.

According to a PPIC chart cited by the administration, a family of three earning $60,000 annually would have paid approximately $7,000 a year in fees for full-time subsidized childcare under the 2019-20 schedule. Under the 2025-26 schedule, the annual fee is zero. The figures are adjusted for inflation.

“Raising a child shouldn’t break the bank,” Newsom said. He added that the state has lowered costs, expanded access to affordable care, and increased educational opportunities to help parents and children thrive.

Since 2019, California has added approximately 149,000 subsidized childcare slots and awarded 3,800 grants to providers to improve facilities and expand capacity. The state has also expanded before-and after-school care and summer programs for students in transitional kindergarten through sixth grade, offering activities such as homework assistance, arts, music, and science enrichment.

Universal transitional kindergarten is another major component of the state’s strategy. The free program is available to all 4-year-olds in California, providing early education while helping families avoid some childcare expenses. California enrolled 213,313 children in transitional kindergarten during the 2025-26 school year. The Newsom administration says the state has invested $12.5 billion since 2019 to implement the program statewide.

Other initiatives include expanding paid family leave from six weeks to eight weeks and increasing wage replacement for eligible workers.

Those earning less than $65,000 annually can receive up to 90% of their regular wages while on leave.

California has also provided free meals to public school students and established the CalKIDS savings program, which provides eligible children with accounts to help cover future college and career training expenses.

The state has further supported childcare providers through collective bargaining, committing more than $800 million to health, retirement, and training benefits for members of Child Care Providers United.

While these initiatives have expanded support for families, the PPIC figures specifically illustrate changes in subsidized childcare fees, not the full cost of care for every household. Ensuring that affordable, accessible childcare is available to families across income levels remains an ongoing challenge for California.

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Education

U.S. Rep. Simon Secures More Than $1 Million for Public Safety at Mills College at Northeastern University Oakland, Surrounding Neighborhood

This week, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (CA-12) announced $1,031,000 in Community Project Funding (CPF) for Mills College at Northeastern University Oakland (MCNUO). This federal funding will be used to purchase new emergency blue-light phone towers and security cameras that will

Published

1 week ago

October 25, 2026

Post News Group

Flanked by students, holding the check to the college are (l.-r.) U.S. Rep Lateefah Simon, Renee Jadushlever and Dan Sachs of MCNUO and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. Courtesy photo.

By Special to The Post

Simon announced the funding alongside Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, Dean of Northeastern University Oakland Dan Sachs, Associated Vice President for Global Site Security Regina Coppa, and other Northeastern University leadership. This federal investment is part of Simon’s commitment to bringing federal resources back to the East Bay and supporting students, educators, and educational institutions who are creating the next generation of leaders in the East Bay.

This Community Project Funding (CPF) is a part of the $11.2 million that Simon secured for 15 projects across the East Bay in Fiscal Year 2026. Each fiscal year, members of Congress can submit Community Project Funding requests for consideration with the House Committee on Appropriations.

“Mills College at Northeastern University is one of the jewels of Oakland. I came to this campus as a student and young, single mother and walked these paths with my child. I know this campus is home to far more than a university.

“It is home to the little ones at the preschool, the girls at Julia Morgan, the neighbors who swim in the pool and walk the trail, and the faculty and workers who keep it all running,” Simon said. “This funding invests in every one of them and in the simple things that make a place safe: light, open paths, updated equipment like call booths.

“NE’s leadership is committed to a campus that takes responsibility for its neighbors as much as its own. Safety is a public good, and that is exactly the kind of investment Oakland deserves. Thank you to Mayor Barbara Lee for her partnership on this funding.”

“This campus changed my life when I came here as a single mother on public assistance, and this million-dollar investment continues that legacy of support by keeping our students, families, and neighbors safe,” said Mayor Barbara Lee. “Before leaving Congress, I requested federal funding for this project, and I am deeply grateful to Congresswoman Lateefah Simon for carrying it forward so we can build the safe, thriving community Oakland deserves.”

“We’re grateful to Congresswoman Lateefah Simon for her leadership in securing this funding for our Oakland campus,” said Renee Jadushlever, vice president for Campus Administration and Strategic Initiatives at Northeastern University. “It’s a place where students learn, do research, build community, and gain real-world experience with our industry partners across the region. This investment will help maintain the safety of our campus community while we continue to welcome our neighbors and deepen our connections across Oakland.”

U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon’s media relations office is the source of this story.

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Community

WCCUSD Joins Statewide Organic School Food Purchasing Cooperative

Other districts involved include: Alameda USD, Albany USD, Berkeley USD, Capistrano USD, Cupertino Union SD, Hayward USD, Laguna Beach USD, Lagunitas Elementary SD, Mt. Diablo USD, North Monterey County USD, Pajaro Valley USD, San Leandro USD, San Ramon Valley USD, Santa Clara USD, Sausalito Marin City SD, Tahoe-Truckee USD and West Contra Costa USD.

Published

3 weeks ago

October 13, 2026

Post News Group

West Contra Costa Unified School District food services team members pose for a photo at Back-to-School Night. Photo courtesy of WCCUSD.

By Richmond Standard Staff

Seventeen California public school districts, including West Contra Costa Unified (WCCUSD), have joined a purchasing cooperative to pool their buying power and expand access to organic food in school meals.

The nonprofit Conscious Kitchen recently announced the launch of the Conscious Organic School Food Purchasing Cooperative. Its founding districts serve more than 300,000 students combined.

The cooperative partnered with food distributors UNFI and Sysco to expand the organic products available to participating districts. Combining schools’ purchasing demand helps distributors plan with suppliers while creating more dependable markets for organic farmers and food makers, according to Conscious Kitchen.

Other eligible California school districts can access the cooperative’s products and pricing through its existing contracts without conducting their own bids. Mt. Diablo Unified School District serves as the lead district for the cooperative’s grocery bid.

Barbara Jellison, WCCUSD’s executive director of food services, said the cooperative builds on years of work bringing fresh, organic food into school kitchens.

“The next challenge has always been how to make that possible for more districts,” Jellison said. “The Co-op gives schools a way to take what we have learned and move it to a completely different scale.”