Post-secondary education should be a place where everyone has the opportunity to learn, build relationships, discover their strengths and find a sense of belonging. At Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT), creating opportunities for accessible and inclusive education is an important part of building a campus community where all learners can participate and thrive.
Since 2011, NVIT has partnered with STEPS Forward, a program of the BC Initiative for Inclusive Post-Secondary Education, to create opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to participate in post-secondary education. Through this partnership, students are supported in accessing the academic, social and cultural life of campus while developing meaningful relationships with their peers and the broader NVIT community.
As BC’s only Indigenous public post-secondary institution, NVIT’s commitment to inclusive education is deeply connected to its purpose of serving Indigenous learners and communities. Inclusivity means creating pathways that recognize the diverse strengths, experiences and needs of learners, while ensuring that barriers to participation do not prevent someone from pursuing their educational goals.
As the BC Initiative for Inclusive Post-Secondary Education explains, “The aim of Inclusive Post-secondary Education is not to normalize students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, but to make their participation in post-secondary education the norm.”
For Arden Duncan Bonokoski, Executive Director of the BC Initiative for Inclusive Post-Secondary Education, the partnership with NVIT reflects the belief that everyone who wants to continue learning belongs in post-secondary education.
“We believe that everyone who wants to continue learning belongs in post-secondary education. STEPS Forward works alongside students, families and campus communities to support students with the label of intellectual or developmental disability to take part in the academic and social life of their campus.”
STEPS Forward was created by families who recognized the limited opportunities available to their children as they entered adulthood. They saw education as a powerful way to create opportunities for relationships, contribution and belonging.
“In 2011, we were invited to partner with NVIT to expand opportunities for students in Merritt,” says Bonokoski. “Since then, students’ participation and the relationships they have built across campus have helped demonstrate the meaningful contributions students make when they have the same opportunities to learn, grow and belong.”
The partnership also reflects NVIT’s commitment to culturally responsive and holistic support.
“We are proud to be part of NVIT’s commitment to culturally responsive and holistic support. We approach the partnership with humility and remain committed to listening, learning and building relationships with students and the campus community.”
Inclusive education is more than providing access to a classroom. It is about creating opportunities for people to participate fully in campus life, contribute their perspectives and experiences, develop relationships and be recognized as valued members of the community.
For NVIT, this work is part of an ongoing commitment to creating an environment where learners can find their own pathways to success.
“We look forward to continuing to learn together and support inclusion in ways that reflect NVIT, its students and the communities it serves,” says Bonokoski.
Learn More
To learn more about inclusive education opportunities at NVIT and how students can become part of the campus community, connect with Lynne McCormack, Campus Facilitator.