Big Goal Accelerator Project Spotlight: SI/Victoria Westshore, BC, and the Kwetlal Award
In order to achieve our 2031 Big Goal of investing in the dreams of half a million women and girls through access to education, we must go beyond our Dream Programs—the Live Your Dream Awards and Dream It, Be it. Other hands-on club work that increases access to education leading to economic empowerment for women and girls facing obstacles to their success are counted towards the Big Goal. These projects are called Big Goal Accelerator Projects.
As your club considers how to reach more women and girls through access to education, it is crucial to make sure that your intervention meets a real need of the women and girls in your community. Your club’s resources are valuable, and you want to be sure that you’re using them to make the most impact. A wonderful example of a club doing exactly this is SI/Victoria Westshore, BC (Western Canada Region), and their new Kwetlal Award which is a Big Goal Accelerator Project.
The idea for this award first came about in 2021 as members saw the importance of supporting Indigenous women who are pursuing education, as these women face greater barriers and challenges when seeking funding for education. In the spirit of advancing reconciliation and renewing Canadians’ relationship with Indigenous peoples, based on recognition of rights, respect, and equity, SI/Victoria Westshore saw an opportunity to earmark educational support to local Indigenous women.
The criteria for the new award and the award name were determined in consultation with Indigenous partners. The name Kwetlal comes from the Lekwungen name for a food source, the potato-like root of a beautiful blue spring flower, which was traditionally grown and harvested by women in the ancestral land on which the club operates.
The applicants answer questions about their traditional roles on the land where they grew up, their income and costs while at school, and the traditional name they carry, if they have one. Kwetlal awardees are eligible to apply for the Live Your Dream Awards as well to receive further support.
The club is considering ways to make the application more accessible after consultation with Indigenous partners, including methods to submit applications through storytelling, poetry, art, or music.
Club members immediately embraced this new award and initially voted to provide one $1,500 Kwetlal Award for the 2021-2022 year. And this year, the members have voted to up that to three $1,500 awards! Applications have come from across western Canada, indicating that there is a great need for this kind of support throughout Canada and North America.
SI/Victoria Westshore member and member of the T’Sou-ke First Nation, Debra Lazzar, helped to develop the ceremony to honor the first Kwetlal Award recipient. In addition to the $1,500 education award, the inaugural Kwetlal Award recipient, Jennifer Jones, received a beautiful blanketing ceremony performed by Debra and an Elder of the Lekwungen First Nation. Jennifer also received a cedar bark headband in the tradition of Debra's grandmother, Susan Lazzar, who was a cedar craftswoman.
With a focus on listening to and implementing suggestions from the community they want to support, SI/Victoria Westshore is making an incredible impact through their Kwetlal Award. How can your club draw inspiration from their project?
Reminder: if your club has a Big Goal Accelerator Project, please report it to us here!
And don’t forget to join us for the Big Goal Accelerator Projects 101 webinar on February 8 at 7 p.m.
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