University College of the North (UCN) administrator Charlene Lafreniere was one of five Canadians chosen by the United States embassy in Ottawa to attend a program in Washington, D.C. on Indigenous education training for remote and disadvantaged communities.
Lafreniere, UCN’s director of institutional advancement as well as a former Thompson city councillor and a member of the provincial government’s Look North steering committee, attended the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) from Aug. 4 to Aug. 15. She and other participants studied initiatives that promote more Indigenous and rural youth to participate in education and the workforce. It also examines how communities lacking digital, financial and human resources identify and mitigate achievement gaps.
“I am very honoured to be invited by U.S. Embassy Ottawa to participate in this International Visitor Leadership Exchange program,” Lafreniere said in a UCN press release. “When I see what has been organized for us, I know it will be a valuable exchange for myself personally and professionally. I have much gratitude for all involved in supporting me to participate: U.S. Embassy Ottawa, UCN and my family.”
Founded in 1940, the IVLP has given thousands of emerging leaders – including more than 1,200 Canadians – the opportunity to observe and interact with American culture and society on a personal level.
