Applied Research Indigenous Student Internships connect culture, classrooms and real-world application of hands-on learning – ENC

April 15, 2025

Three Saskatchewan Polytechnic students are pursuing an educational path they might not otherwise have discovered, thanks to an internship award that funds students with First Nations, Inuit or Métis heritage participating in applied research and scholarly activities. This year’s successful Applied Research Indigenous Student Internship applicants Calyssa Painchaud, Haley Popadynec and Dustin Sanderson are all working as research assistants for faculty undertaking projects in their field.

Painchaud and Popadynec, both set to graduate from the Therapeutic Recreation program this Spring, are assisting program head and researcher Linda Martin. Martin is studying the efficacy of recreation therapy in school settings work she has been gathering applied research data on for the past three years. “Recreation therapy is applicable to a variety of situations,” she explains, “but one of the most exciting is in educational settings. Our profession has so much to offer the diverse and growing needs of schools, from early childhood up through secondary education.”

Read More: https://educationnewscanada.com/article/education/level/colleges/2/1135406/applied-research-indigenous-student-internships-connect-culture-classrooms-and-real-world-application-of-hands-on-learning-.html