b'SUCCESS STORYUlnoowegsBy Rick GarrickTransformative JourneyBridging Indigenous wisdom with contemporary progressS ince its inception in 1985, Ulnooweg has consistentlyWhat excites me is actually the potential of the Educa-evolved to meet the diverse needs of Indigenous tion Centre, says Chris Googoo, CEO at Ulnooweg. The peoples in Atlantic Canada. What began as the purpose of the Centre, in terms of teaching and training Ulnooweg Development Group (UDG) has blossomed intoand research components, is very broad. Ive been with the a multifaceted endeavor, now encompassing the Ulnoowegorganization for 23 years, so Ive seen the need for us to Education Centre and the Ulnooweg Indigenous develop the community to have the entrepreneurs that we Communities Foundation.need to develop an economy.At its core, the Ulnooweg Development Group providesIn 2019, the Ulnooweg Education Centre developed a support for Indigenous entrepreneurs, nurturing their as- STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) pirations with practical guidance and financial assistance.program, with a mandate to provide fun and engaging ed-Alongside UDG is the Ulnooweg Education Centre. Theucational programs and activities in STEAM for Indigenous Centre combines traditional teachings with modern scienceyouth in Atlantic Canada.and technology, and the initiatives fuel a holistic approachWe needed to step up and promote STEAM through a lens to education and research. of entrepreneurship and innovation and look at developing The heartbeat of collaboration resonates through thethe communities with these skills in order to meet those op-Ulnooweg Indigenous Communities Foundation. This pillarportunities five to 10 years down the road, Googoo says. not only fosters novel relationships but also champions col- From that, weve developed STEAM education in schools laborations between the philanthropic area and Indigenousand have successfully partnered with the private industry in communities. The Foundations work transcends transac- developing those education module scenarios like artificial tional interactions that build enduring partnerships. intelligence, robotics, 3D modelling, data and big data. For Throughout its remarkable 35-year journey, Ulnoowegme, it was meant to expose children to these different skills completed over 1,900 projects and facilitated financialin STEAM so that they are knowledgeable about this sector, empowerment by injecting approximately $71.1 million inand [so that] their comfort level increases in considering loans. These numbers are not just statistics; they exempli- those sectors as possible opportunities for employment fy the impact Ulnooweg has had on the lives of countlessand entrepreneurship.individuals and communities. Information is available onlineUDG has also partnered with Mastercard Foundation at ulnooweg.ca.through the Joint Economic Development Initiative (JEDI) 8INDIGENOUS PROSPERITYIssue #2, 2023'