Ch’nook’s programs and initiatives represent a commitment to working with First Nations communities, high schools, colleges and universities. We promote business, management and entrepreneurship as viable career options by which Aboriginal students and senior leaders can contribute to creating a sustainable and self-sufficient economic future for themselves and their communities. Our success is built through successful partnerships and collaboration which contribute and strengthen our efforts to attract, facilitate and support Aboriginal students and senior leaders engaged in business education.
Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada (AFOA)
The Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada (AFOA) is the centre for excellence and innovation in Aboriginal finance and management. We are the only organization in Canada that focuses on the capacity development and day to day needs of those Aboriginal professionals who are working in all areas of finance and management – today’s leaders and those of the future.
A primary focus of the FMB is to provide financial management system certification for First Nations that choose to apply for a property tax secured loan from the First Nations FInance Authority. To this end, the FMB will offer services in support of financial administration law development, financial management system certification, intervention and capacity development.
The ARC Initiative
The ARC Initiative seeks to build a bridge, an arc, which facilitates a genuine two-way exchange of knowledge and business skills. We work to initiate and foster relationships between University of British Columbia students, Sauder School of Business alumni and faculty and communities in South Africa and Ethiopia.
PM-Volunteers.org
PM-Volunteers.org (PM-V) creates opportunities for skilled project management professionals from a variety of industries and competencies to engage with not for profit organizations in a way that adds sustainable value to the community. The Canadian West Coast Chapter PMI operates the PM-Volunteers.org program in Mainland BC.
ISIS at Sauder School of Business
ISIS at the Sauder School of Business is focused on leveraging business tools to advance social innovation and sustainability, through research, incubation, and application. ISIS defines social innovation as a new approach which fosters initiatives that contribute to solving existing social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental challenges. This encompasses concepts such as social enterprise, social finance, and strategic corporate social responsibility. What it does not involve is simply throwing money at a problem. Rather, ISIS aims to build institutions designed to create value rather than dependency. ISIS currently works with a number of First Nations communities in British Columbia. Their goal is to build intellectual and human capacity by linking knowledge with action to further the field of sustainability and social innovation.
