Students introduced to new media

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The word is getting out about the New Media Studies program being offered by 'spa naxnox, with students coming from throughout the lower mainland of British Columbia and as far away as Manitoba.

What's attracting them is a chance to learn about new media-specifically production graphics, desktop publishing, and Web development-in a program designed by Aboriginal people for Aboriginal people.

The name 'spa naxnox was given to the program by an Elder from the Musqueum band. The word means "the spirit of intellectual property within."

The program has been up and running for just about a year now; and the second set of students is currently working their way through the six-month program. Ten students took part in the program's first offering, while there are a dozen currently enrolled. The ideal class size is about 11, explained program assistant Klahanie Rorick. "But we had an abundance of people applying this year."

New Media Studies was started by program co-ordinator Don Owen as a way to fill a void in the training being offered to Aboriginal people.

"He felt there weren't enough Aboriginal people in the industry doing this kind of thing," Rorick said. "He thought there was a major gap in there, and so he decided to design this program especially for beginners and people who are wanting to get into the field." As well as being an educational program, it is an employability program, and receives funding from the Aboriginal Community Career Employment Service (ACCES).

What gives this program a bit of an edge over other Web, desktop publishing or graphics courses is that it is geared towards the Aboriginal community, both in terms of attracting and accommodating Aboriginal students and in the way the students contribute to the Aboriginal community in the course of their studies.

New Media Studies is sponsored by the United Native Nations Society (UNNS), a provincial non-profit organization that works to provide Aboriginal people with opportunities for education, training and employment. During the program, students put their newly learned skills to work, creating projects that help support UNNS initiatives.

"We specifically gear towards helping the Aboriginal community. So we do specific things like posters for Aboriginal organizations. We're also affiliated with the UNN. They're right next door to us. And so a lot of our students' projects are geared towards the UNN and what they're doing. And so we kind of make connections with the Aboriginal community," Rorick said.

While this obviously benefits the Aboriginal organizations, the students also benefit from working on these project, as they get a chance to see the practical applications of what they're learning.

"Watching the students right now, now that we're known, we're starting to get more organizations come in and ask for us to design posters or business cards and things like that. So these students are kind of jumping right into it, and that's a really good element in the program, that they're actually doing some real work that they can put in their portfolios. So I think as we go along, we'll probably get more of that and it's inspiring for them too," said Julie Flett, a former student in the program who has stayed on as teaching assistant.

Students wanting to enroll in New Media Studies must have their Grade 12, and must be of Aboriginal ancestry. Some desktop publishing experience or artistic background is an asset. To qualify for funding through ACCES, students must either be eligible for Employment Insurance, or be on assistance.

"But if you want to go through your band, that's fine. Then the band pays the tuition," Rorick explained.

For more information about 'spa naxnox New Media Studies, visit the program's Web site at http://www.unns.bc.ca/spanaxnox/index.html or send an e-mail to spanaxnox@unns.bc.ca or call 604-688-1821. The next session of the program is scheduled to start at the end of November.