As the Centennial community celebrates both Pride Month and National Indigenous History Month this June, Tima Shah––the newly elected president of the Centennial College Students Association Inc. (CCSAI)––is reflecting on the organization’s growing support for Indigenous and 2SLGBTQQIA+ students.
“The CCSAI has been fortunate to have had so many board members who embodied the values of community and advancing equity.” says Tima, a current student in the human resources program. “Those voices have collectively pushed our organization to focus on supports for Indigenous students, 2SLGBTQQIA students, and other groups of students experiencing marginalization.”
Launching the Ka-naadmaadmi Bursary for Indigenous students
In 2021, around the time that graves were being discovered on the sites of former residential schools across Canada, CCSAI board members met with Seàn Kinsella––Centennial’s first Director of the Eighth Fire––to discuss how the organization could help break down barriers to education for Indigenous students.
“It didn’t feel right to only morn the discoveries of the graves and not recognise the barriers indigenous students face today in accessing post-secondary education.” says Tima.
Together, Seàn and the CCSAI created the Ka-naadmaadmi Bursary, a special resource specifically for Indigenous students. Students can apply for support using a simple form, and funds are provided within one to two days.
The CCSAI helped the bursary get off the ground with an initial gift of $10,000. Each bursary is $1,000, and the first 10 bursaries were granted out immediately.
“We ended up donating an additional $2,000, for a total of $12,000,” says Tima. “We are contributing $17,000 next year but the demand for the Ka-naadmaadmi Bursary is significant, which is why we also need to rely on the generosity of community members and alumni to continue supporting it.”
Making a difference with Pride
This year, the CCSAI is also continuing its long-standing support for 2SLGBTQQIA+ students by providing funding for the Pride Bursary––launched in 2020 to support 2SLGBTQQIA+ students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic––and selling t-shirts and other items at the College’s June 7 Pride event.
All proceeds from the sales will be directed to the bursary, which is in high demand from students and, like the Ka-naadmaadmi Bursary, relies on donor funding to continue growing and supporting as many students as possible.
The CCSAI is also actively committed to creating spaces for queer students to socialize and support one another. In partnership with Centennial’s Centre for Global Citizenship Education & Inclusion (GCEI), the organization co-founded the LGBT2Q+ Social Club.
“The LGBT2Q+ Social Club is an incredibly supportive community,” says Tima. “We’re very excited to be part of celebrating the community and being allies and supporters of Pride.”
Supporting student success across the Centennial community
Tima says that the CCSAI’s support for Indigenous and 2SLGBTQQIA is part of the organization’s broader commitment to support as many students as possible.
“The CCSAI is a non-profit organization, and students are our members as well as our owners. Our goal is to ensure that as much revenue as possible is going back to students,” she says.
In addition to funding bursaries and scholarships, the CCSAI is in the early stages of launching a Learning Essentials Fund––a new resource that will provide funding support for various expenses related to their education.
One of CCSAI’s most used services is the food bank located in their building at Progress Campus. “Our partnership with Daily Bread allows students to sign up for a hamper to pick up from our building, or to visit their local food bank location.”
The organization has also been actively involved with the Anti-Black Racism Task Force and the Black Students Collective in partnership with the GCEI, and will continue expanding its support for Black students in the months and years ahead.
“So many of the students we represent are funding their way through college on their own.” says Tima. “They shouldn’t have to make the choice between groceries and tuition. Bursaries and scholarships make a real difference in whether a student successfully graduates from college.”
“I’m really proud to be part of these efforts; student governance is a place where a lot of impact can be made in the lives of students, and I look forward to continuing to help make a difference.”
Both the Ka-naadmaadmi Bursary and the Pride Bursary rely on funding from Centennial’s donor community to meet the needs of as many students as possible. Please consider making a gift in any amount.