A story of reconnecting with Inuit ways of learning: designing a post-secondary institution in Nunavik

Abstract

Inuit students in Nunavik do not have access to local culturally relevant post-secondary education and must relocate to southern Québec if they wish to pursue further education. The high dropout rates experienced as a result of culture shock, financial strain, distance from support systems and culturally irrelevant programs communicate that this is an insufficient solution. The local Inuit-led Kativik School Board plans to create a local post-secondary institution to address this issue based on years of community conversations which reveals an opportunity to support the existing project by exploring the question: how can the design of a post-secondary institution to support Inuit ways of learning in Nunavik? Community engagement, case studies, reciprocity, and the theoretical framework about Inuit ways of learning inform strategies for facilitating knowledge sharing through the design of a new school typology to support Inuit student success.