About C.PahObjectives
The objectives of the Collaborative Program in Aboriginal Health are to:
provide training in Aboriginal health research and practice for graduate students at the Master’s and Doctoral levels;
enhance the quality and breadth of multidisciplinary training by providing trainees with access to learning experiences that cut across existing academic disciplinary and administrative boundaries;
offer students mentorship opportunities by committed and experienced faculty in Aboriginal health with a diversity of theoretical, substantial and methodological perspectives;
increase the visibility of Aboriginal health within the Uof T community;
foster a network of Aboriginal health researchers and practitioners within the University of Toronto and beyond;
prepare the next generation of health researchers and practitioners to work respectfully and effectively with Aboriginal communities and organizations;
create an environment within UofT which values the lived experiences, ethical principles, and world view of Aboriginal peoples and enhance the University’s partnership with Aboriginal communities and organizations.
. Added Value
The proposed program will provide a focus for students interested in Aboriginal health to interact and learn from each other in a manner that may not be available in their home departments or faculties. It will expose them to a broad scope of faculty expertise in terms of substantive content areas, geographical locations of research site, methodological approaches, and philosophical orientations. The interactions among students, and between students and faculty, will occur through the core courses, the research seminar series, and summer institutes. The latter two would not have been available without the Collaborative Program.
The opportunity for students to be placed in Aboriginal communities and service agencies for practicum training and field research will prepare them for future employment and other types of interactions, while benefiting directly such organizations.