Beyond Access to Inclusion: The Axworthy Years 2004-2014

By Lloyd Axworthy, Linda DeRiviere, and Jennifer Rattray

Universities across Canada have more actively integrated service-learning and community engagement opportunities for students. However, The University of Winnipeg (UW), an urban institution on Treaty One land in the heart of the Métis Nation, has expanded its mandate for community learning to include a broader response to contemporary social and economic issues, as well as evolving community and demographic characteristics. In doing so, it has challenged existing academic models and practices, and has incorporated strategies that better address the social divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in order to more effectively serve the learning needs of the surrounding community. This paper demonstrates how an inner-city university has redefined its role by creating dialogue and authentic relationships with the surrounding community, which has in turn fostered an environment of mutual exchange. It will describe UW’s holistic approach to Indigenous educational opportunities and community capacity-building for lifelong learning, and provide an overview of the positive effects of six learning initiatives on a community of underrepresented learners.

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