Indigenous Co-op

I strive to make SFU a safer place for our Indigenous community to grow and flourish.

Casey Cheng, a Co-op student with the SFU Work-integrated Learning (WIL) Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) team, interviews Audrey Heath about her Co-op position with the SFU Indigenous Student Centre (ISC). Casey and Audrey discuss cultural safety, expectations & objectives, and how co-op supports professional and educational development.

Read on to learn about 5 fantastic volunteer opportunities that allow students to engage in the community and make a difference in the world.

Gaining work experience while still in university is a great way to prepare for life after graduation. Here are 5 organizations that offer internship programs for Indigenous students.

The 2nd Annual SFU Indigenous Day at the SFU Burnaby campus was a huge success! Here is a recap of the event.

We must acknowledge autonomy for Indigenous Students in an academic setting, we are not in your classes to teach them, and we are not able to speak on behalf of every Indigenous community.

We deserve more and so do our Indigenous youth. The justification of our suffering needs to stop.

Interested in a career with a company who values your identity and culture?  A company who’s committed to a diverse workforce, while offering unique opportunities and professional growth.  A company who supports and encourages employees from a shared background and culture to help drive understanding, empathy and change.  If so, ICBC may be right for you.

Ever wondered what it would be like working for one of the big four accounting firms? Cameron shares his insight into working for PwC and their Audit and Assurance division, including key responsibilities and advice to help you succeed!

In five years at SFU, engineering physics undergrad Scott Beaupré landed three co-op job positions and four research projects without ever dropping off a résumé. Find out how! 

In this blog, I take you through my personal life story from immigrating to Canada, working and living in a rural First Nations community, to finding a sense of belonging and a second identity, which has forever changed the way I will view the world.

Taylor joined SFU’s Aboriginal Co-op Coordinator, Trina Setah, as a Work-Study student to help promote co-op to SFU’s Indigenous community. Read about Taylor’s personal experience with co-op, and why she thinks you should join too.

Do you enjoy working with computers? Do you find the idea of solving puzzles to be exhilarating? Do you want to help people get introduced to the world of computers? If so, perhaps a Service Desk Analyst will be a perfect fit for you. Follow SIAT student, Michael Sandrin, in his first occupational adventure: working as a Service Desk Analyst for the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA).

Theresa did her co-op as a residence worker.  She shares about her learning experiences and her future goals.

I’ve always had a passion for helping people. For the longest time, I wasn’t sure how to apply this passion.

"In all of my years, I worked to be well known, respected and network with many people.  Those networks proved to be worth-while as I worked my way up the ladder.  It pays to make good connections that has strategically helped me out when I needed them." 

Meet Lindsay Wainwright, 32, who has already completed her second year of medical school at UBC even though she is just graduating with her SFU B.Sc. this June.

Dr. Sarah Hunt As an ally to sex workers, Sarah seeks to strengthen relationships between Indigenous sex workers and other members of Indigenous communities in order to confront the stigma and criminalization which contributes to increased violence.

Hear some of the backgrounds and aspirations of the First Nations Student Association board members. A showcase of the diversity within the student led organization here at SFU.

On October 7th and 8th 2013, WIL hosted SFU's first Three Minute Co-op Competition. 31 students presented on their Co-op experience, competing for cash prizes. Read a recap of the final 15 presenters.

Lindsay enjoys helping people achieve their goals and this experience has allowed her to follow and achieve her passion for improving services available to Indigenous students and potentially their overall academic success. Learn more about her experiences.

Even before the first month of my one year co-op contract with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) was over, I knew that my co-op experience was going to be different from what I had ever suspected I was getting myself into.

Being an arts and social sciences student means having a vast variety of career options open to us. One of them being a treaty negotiator at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)! Read Ryan's blog to find out more about what this position entails. 

"I have no solid plans for the future and I love it...I know that every experience that I have had, every failed plan, was really an excellent mistake that gave me the skills I need to handle any situation that gets thrown my way in the future."