Primacorp Ventures donates $500K in scholarships to Indspire for Indigenous education

Primacorp Ventures' education division has partnered with national Indigenous charity Indspire, donating half a million dollars’ worth of funding and awards to Indigenous students over the span of four years. The federal government will match this donation, for a total of $1M in funding.

With a shared goal of closing the educational gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians, representatives of Primacorp Ventures and Indspire celebrated the partnership at a launch event hosted on May 16th, 2022.

Indspire President and CEO Mike DeGagné shared the projection that the partnership will financially support over 100 Indigenous students over the next four years.

“The creation of the awards represents an exciting opportunity for a national partnership, as well as a new avenue toward success for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students,” said DeGagné, who spoke at the event. “These awards ensure that Indigenous students have the financial means to succeed on their educational journeys and ultimately enter their chosen careers.”

Primacorp Ventures recognizes that a key step in the process towards reconciliation is the elimination of the educational gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians, as identified by the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Principles of Reconciliation.

As a part of its commitment to Truth & Reconciliation, Primacorp Ventures also observes Orange Shirt Day by raising funds and awareness of the lasting effects of residential schools on Indigenous communities and culture. Anoush Kazarian, Regional Director in Ontario, said that the new partnership with Indspire allows the Primacorp Ventures community to continue to learn from Indigenous people and address an educational gap that exists.

“Alongside with the awareness, recognition, and funds that we raise, the most important thing to me, as an educator, is the dialogue that we open up, the things we can learn from our Indigenous students, staff and community,” said Kazarian. 

Prospective students can apply for the scholarship through Indspire.