Sovereign Insurance鈥檚 recent $50,000 donation to the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning is not only a financial boon for the Yellowknife-based organization, but a source of 鈥渁 lot of pride,鈥� according to Kelsey Wrightson, Dechinta鈥檚 executive director.

鈥淭he team at Dechinta, we work really, really hard to deliver meaningful and community-driven programming,鈥� she said soon after Sovereign鈥檚 donation was announced publicly on Jan. 15. 鈥淭o be recognized by Sovereign Insurance with this donation, it鈥檚 really important for everybody because it demonstrates to us that the work that we do is supported by a wide community of others.

鈥淚t demonstrates that our work is being recognized, people are supporting us, and that we are having positive impacts beyond even what we鈥檙e really aware of.鈥�

Dechinta is an Indigenous, land-based initiative that provides accredited post-secondary education and research experiences in the North.

Sovereign鈥檚 $50,000 donation to Dechinta was actually its second of 2023. Earlier in the year, the Toronto-based company made a $5,000 donation to the organization in the name of reconciliation strategist Tanya Tourangeau.

Later in the year, the company elected to make a second, larger donation, also in Tourangeau鈥檚 name.

鈥淲e were so grateful that Tanya introduced us to Dechinta and we鈥檙e honoured to be able to support the amazing research, initiatives and programs they offer,鈥� Sovereign Insurance content manager Jennifer Peckett said. 鈥淲hen we had the opportunity to make a much larger $50,000 donation later last year, we knew that investing further in Dechinta would make a significant difference and impact, while also aligning with Sovereign鈥檚 values, commitment to reconciliation, and purpose of enhancing the resilience of Canadian communities.鈥�

Sovereign鈥檚 second donation to Dechinta, much like the first, will be used primarily 鈥渢o reduce barriers that 黑料吃瓜网 Indigenous students experience when accessing post-secondary education,鈥� according to Wrightson.

鈥淲hen we receive donations like this, they鈥檙e first used to support student tuition so that 黑料吃瓜网 Indigenous students can access post-secondary in their homelands at no cost,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a really important part of our work and important part of our ethical commitment as an organization, but [donations] also really support organizational stability. As a nonprofit, our funding fluctuates, and sometimes it鈥檚 really unknown when we鈥檙e going to receive more funding.

鈥淒onations from the wider community are really important for Dechinta to be able to continue to deliver meaningful programming over time,鈥� Wrightson added.

Dechinta has been operating in Yellowknife since 2010. Wrightson, who has served as its executive director for the last five years, called it 鈥渁 special organization for a lot of reasons.鈥�

鈥淥ur programming has been recognized internationally as some of the most innovative and cutting edge programming that centres [around] Indigenous knowledge and Indigenous Elders and really creates a learning community that is meaningful to Indigenous 黑料吃瓜网ers.鈥�

鈥淥ur programming is so important because, not only is it reducing the barriers that 黑料吃瓜网 Indigenous students are facing when accessing post-secondary, but it鈥檚 really transforming how people understand what education could be, what educational pathways are open to them, and the kinds of opportunities that could be in front of them,鈥� she added. 鈥淲e鈥檙e really proud of the way that Dechinta has become a program of choice for so many 黑料吃瓜网 students who are choosing to enter post-secondary for the first time, or returning to post-secondary after having challenging experiences in southern institutions.鈥�

Dechinta is currently accepting applications for its summer 2024 program.