Funding Support for First Nations Teacher Salaries,
Professional Training and Course Resources

Investing in Indigenous Youth Entrepreneurship Education

Dear FNEAA Members, Directors of Education, and School Principals,

We are pleased to write on behalf of the Martin Family Initiative (MFI) to introduce our organization and the resources that we share with schools, staff, and students. The Martin Family Initiative is a registered charity founded by the Right Honourable Paul Martin and his family in 2008 to strengthen the well-being of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis children and youth in Canada.

About Us

At MFI, our programs are represented in the three pillars of our organization: family, educational, and economic well-being. We work with educators and Indigenous-led organizations and communities to design and implement customized programming to suit our partners’ goals, unique needs, and cultural contexts. We help partners access new or existing funding; work collaboratively with partners to create programs and course materials; and share accessible, tailored, and culturally relevant tools and resources.

As part of its economic well-being initiatives, MFI has three unique programs:

• An entrepreneurship and financial literacy program for students in Grades 6 to 9,
• An Indigenous youth entrepreneurship program (IYEP) for Grades 11 and 12, and
• An adult-focused Indigenous entrepreneurship course for use outside of formal school settings.

Let’s Be Partners

As education professionals, you have firsthand, expert knowledge of students’ needs and understand the importance of nurturing their interests and preparing them for their future careers. That’s why, at MFI, we regularly partner with school leaders, educators, and administrators to support Indigenous learners in their pursuits.

We have recently embarked on a partnership with AFOA Canada (AFOA), with the support of Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) to expand the MFI Indigenous Youth Entrepreneurship Program (IYEP) for Grade 11 and 12 students for the 2024–2025 school year. We are excited to offer funding to support a portion of a teacher’s salary, professional training, and physical course resources to ideally remove barriers that may have prevented you from offering business or entrepreneurship courses in previous years.

Through this partnership, MFI and AFOA will provide to schools:

• Use of IYEP course materials, including teachers’ resource books and student workbooks, at no cost to the school or community;
• Funding support for a teacher’s salary for the teaching of an IYEP course (equalling approximately 25% of a teacher’s full salary); and
• Initial training and ongoing mentorship, provided by MFI’s knowledgeable Program Coordinators, for teachers and principals.

About IYEP

The Indigenous Youth Entrepreneurship Program (IYEP) is a prepared two-course curriculum of a total of approximately 220 classroom hours over both courses for Grades 11 and 12. IYEP’s curriculum is based on the requirements of provincial business courses but with the benefit of Indigenous content, including case studies and examples of successful Canadian Indigenous business leaders. IYEP nurtures the attitudes and skills necessary for Indigenous youths to achieve success in secondary school, the workplace, during post-secondary education or training, and in daily life. The curriculum teaches students entrepreneurial skills and provides an opportunity to produce work (business plans, pitch materials, etc.) that can lead to business ownership. Students gain an introduction to business that will help them prepare for the working world regardless of their choice of career.

The course is designed with hands-on activities and encourages the involvement of guest speakers and business mentors to ensure the student’s learning is grounded in lived experiences. Indigenous students learn how to develop product-based and service-driven businesses, and about the services provided by banks and credit unions.

Currently, IYEP is offered in 34 classrooms across Canada in First Nation-operated schools, provincial schools, and Indigenous-led institutions, and supporting over 350 students within those classes.  

Next Steps

As FNEAA members, Directors of Education, and Principals for First Nations schools, MFI is interested in connecting with you to discuss your professional needs and how MFI economic well-being focused resources can support your students on their educational journey. Our team is very excited about the opportunity to grow IYEP and support schools with funding related to delivery of this course.

If you want to hear more about the IYEP program or our team, please reach out to Economic Well-Being Program Director Griffin Marsh at gmarsh@themfi.ca. We’re excited to start our journey together!