Discovery Week, OLI's second annual immersive career education summit takes place March 3-7 in Toronto
TORONTO, Feb. 25, 2025 /CNW/ - Outside Looking In (OLI), a national Indigenous youth charity that empowers young people to complete high school through the transformative power of dance, is expanding its slate of educational programming with the launch of a new Certificate Program in Professional Studies, in partnership with Sun Life. The new program is designed to provide inclusive pathways to success by bridging educational gaps for Indigenous youth living in remote communities, where geographic isolation presents a barrier to career planning resources, mentorship, professional development and career networking.
The Certificate Program in Professional Studies - titled Future Leaders Next Level - is an evolution of OLI's long-standing Future Leaders accredited high school program for grades 10 through 12 and OLI's Alumni Program. The restructured and formalized curriculum for OLI Alumni will now build upon on the skills developed in the high-school credit program to provide experiences, professional networking, and qualifications necessary to excel as they pursue post-secondary education or in-demand career avenues in today's competitive workforce.
Future Leaders Next Level students also have the option to apply to take part in the second annual Discovery Week, an immersive career education summit taking place from March 3 - 7, 2025 in Toronto. In partnership with Sun Life, 18 Indigenous youth from communities across Canada will take part in seminars, hands-on learning, post-secondary discovery, and mentorship with industry leaders at Sun Life, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, IBM and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). Over the five days, they'll explore careers in cloud computing, AI, sustainable resilience, human resources and post-secondary programs, as well as learn about professional skills, such as resume writing and LinkedIn profile development. Students will also leave with a developed professional profile and headshot, courtesy of Sun Life. This summit will provide participants with the opportunity to interact with professionals, build networks, and gain a deeper understanding of the career paths they are interested in pursuing.
Future Leaders Next Level is designed by Dr. Hope Sanderson, CEO of OLI, who has extensive experience in curriculum development and youth services throughout her career, including as Associate Faculty at Royal Roads University, where she conducted research to Indigenize post-secondary curriculum to increase Indigenous student success.
"The newly developed certificate program takes into account the unique challenges that young Indigenous people face, especially those in remote communities, who have historically been underserved by traditional education systems," said Sanderson. "This certificate will equip students with the career-ready skills that are often difficult to access, empowering them to pursue meaningful careers, start their professional networking and contribute to their communities. This program is about more than education—it's about creating opportunity and building a brighter future."
"By providing Indigenous youth with hands-on experiences, mentorship opportunities, and exposure to cutting-edge fields like cloud computing and AI, we're opening doors to exciting career paths that might otherwise seem out of reach," said Laura Money, Executive Vice-President and Chief Information and Technology Innovation Officer, Sun Life. "It's not just about building careers; it's about empowering the next generation of Indigenous leaders who will drive innovation and positive change in their communities and beyond, we're grateful at Sun Life to be part of that."
OLI has a proven track record of academic success, supporting positive educational outcomes for more than 1,000 Indigenous students since the inception of its accredited dance program for grades seven to 12 in 2007, and the launch of its Future Leaders High School program in 2012. OLI has achieved high-school graduation rates of 96 per cent among program participants, significantly higher than the national average of 63 per cent among Indigenous students and 46 per cent for students living on-reserve.
Future Leaders Next Level
Certificate in Professional Studies.
Future Leader's Next Level builds upon OLI's existing Alumni Program (for young people who have completed an OLI program in the past) with a formalized curriculum. The13-week course launched in January 2025 and offers a comprehensive exploration of five career streams:
Each student is paired with a dedicated mentor, all vetted professionals from various sectors related to the five career steams. Additional optional program components include (application required):
Forty-six students are enrolled in the inaugural Future Leaders Next Level program, ranging in age from 17 to 27 from communities across Canada including:
British Columbia: Nisga'a Nation.
Manitoba: Garden Hill Anisjininew Nation, Red Sucker Lake First Nation, St. Theresa Point First Nation and Wasagamack First Nation.
Nunavut: Iqaluit.
Ontario: Couchiching First Nation, Gakijiwanong Anishinaabe Nation, Matawa First Nations, Pikangikum First Nation, Toronto, Walpole Island First Nation and Webequie First Nation.
Saskatchewan: Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, Big Island Lake Cree Nation and Carry The Kettle.
Future Leaders High School
Accredited high school credit program for grades 10 to 12.
For more than a decade, OLI has successfully delivered the Future Leaders High School program in schools in remote Indigenous communities. This nine-month course features a rigorous and defined curriculum with 110 dedicated classroom hours, as required to obtain a high school credit. The program maintains high academic standards, with students required to maintain a 70 per cent grade point average and attend a minimum of 80 per cent of their classes. The curriculum focuses on career exploration as well as leadership, professional development, and mentorship to expand awareness and access to post-secondary education, career training and employment.
Students are paired with dedicated mentor and also take part in weekly rehearsals to learn a professionally choreographed dance that they perform during the OLI Annual Showcase in Toronto, taking place on May 9, 2025 at TMU's Chrysalis Theatre.
About Dr. Hope Sanderson
Hope Sanderson holds a bilingual Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta, a Community Relations certificate from Boston College, a Stakeholder Negotiation Certificate from Harvard and MIT, and an MBA from Royal Roads University. She completed her doctorate at SMC University in Switzerland, in June of 2020. Her doctoral research explored the governance of infrastructure funding for First Nation projects with a focus on safe drinking water, all in consideration of the role of traditional knowledge and Indigenous governance.
In her volunteer capacities, Sanderson has served on several boards including the Canadian Mental Health Association (Calgary), Catalyste+ (formerly the Canadian Executive Service Organization) and Ronald McDonald House of Southern Alberta. She was appointed by the Alberta Minister of Child and Family Services in 2005 and was Indigenous Board Member of Child and Family Services. In 2012 she was appointed by the Alberta Premier and Minister of Aboriginal Relations to the Council for the Economic Security of Aboriginal Women. A synergist, effective problem solver and negotiator, Sanderson is fiercely proud of being Metis and is actively engaged in the Metis community.
About Outside Looking In
Founded in 2007, Outside Looking In is a nationally registered charitable organization that empowers Indigenous youth through the transformative art of dance, while they pursue education, increase their mental and physical health, and engage in self-expression. For information, visit olishow.com.
About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2024, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.54 trillion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.
Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.
Media Contacts:
Rise PR on behalf of OLI
Andrea McLoughlin
[email protected], 416.407.4321
Adrienne Kakoullis
[email protected], 416.450.6637
For Sun Life
Ashlan MacDonald
[email protected], 437.876.6593
SOURCE Outside Looking In
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