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ᐃᔦᔅᑯᐐᐤ ᐁᑎᑑ ᐁ ᐃᔥᐹᔨᒡ ᒋᔅᑯᑕᒫᒉᐎᓐ ᒉ ᒌ ᐱᐦᑯᐦᑕᒫᓱᐧᐃᑦ ᒋᔅᑯᑕᒫᒉᐅᓯᓇᐦᐄᑲᓂᔫ

Iyeskuwiiu Springboard to DCS

In-community Springboard to a Diploma of College Studies

Applications Open

Deadline to apply is March 1, 2026

Application Instructions

This springboard is a one-year preparatory to college program offered in partnership with John Abbott College.

Prerequisites

Open to Cree beneficiaries living in iiyiyiu aschii communities with a Secondary V Diploma or in the process of completing it during summer school, before the session begins.

Students must be comfortable with technology such as MS Word, MS Teams, MS Messenger, email, uploading and downloading documents. Students must be 18+.

Delivery

Online courses with set class times. A five-day intensive Physical Education course is also offered on the land each semester. In-person tutoring.

Credits

Credits from courses completed are transferable to any English cégep in Québec, and will apply towards a Diploma of College Studies (DCS).

Student Supports

  • Access to a loaned laptop.
  • In-person tutoring in the communities.
  • Online support by the Indigenous Resource Centre and the virtual community.
  • John Abbott College student services available online.
  • On-site orientation at John Abbott College.

Financial Assistance

The Cree School Board provide financial support to qualified students, in accordance with our in-community financial assistance policy.

Financial assistance for the Springboards are provided independently from Post-Secondary Student Services and have an internal process.

Online courses from your home community
Created by Cree educators
For Cree students

Time Commitment

  • Two semesters, beginning in August and ending in April of the next year.
  • 14 class hours per week (3-4 hours per day, Monday to Thursday)
  • Approximately 14 homework hours per week.
  • In addition, there is a one five-day intensive physical education course each semester.

Need Help? Contact Us!

Get support from the Higher Learning team. We're here to help with your questions or concerns.

Program Content

Students will take up to nine (9) accredited CEGEP-level courses and will receive a certificate upon successful completion.

Contemporary Issues

Explore issues that interest and impact Cree youth (topics selected from CNYC survey). Program includes modules on:

  • Health and healing;
  • The environment and relationship with the land;
  • Governance, and more.

This course was customized specifically for Cree students and is only available through this program.

Cree

  • Strengthen your language skills.

French

Available to students who have studied in French
  • Strengthen your language skills.
  • Students are registered at the appropriate level, based on their language assessment.

Preparation for College English

  • Effective reading and writing.
  • Learn the English reading and writing skills you need to succeed at college.

Humanities

Humanities I – Power and Influence in iiyiyiu aschii

  • Explore Cree history through the lens of knowledge transfer

Humanities II – World View

  • Learn how World View impacts the governance of the Cree Nation

Sub-arctic Literature

  • Build literacy skills for post-secondary.
  • Read and analyze local and regional resources.

Land-based Physical Education

  • Practice traditional skills on the land.
  • Two accredited, five-day intensive cultural physical education sessions.
  • One in fall and one in winter.

Application

Through SRAM

(Service régional d'admission du Montréal métropolitain)

Need help with your application? Contact us at:

Step 1 – Written component

Applicants must complete the written portion document to be uploaded with their SRAM application.

Download Written Portion Document for DCS

The written portion includes:

  • A motivation statement (one paragraph)
  • A short essay (250-500 words – topics provided in the document)

Step 2 – SRAM application

  1. Go to admission.sram.qc.ca and select "Apply for admission".
  2. Click on "Continuing education applicant".
    • If you don't have one, create an account with a valid email address (which will be part of your file) and a password. SRAM and the college will use this email address to communicate with you.
    • Note your password somewhere, and check your email often.
  3. Complete the application form, including the following details.
    • Choice of College: John Abbott College
    • Program: 081.06 Springboard to a DCS
    • Particularity: For Cree students only
    • Begins on: August 2026
  4. After submitting your application, you will see a prompt to upload your documents. This is where you will upload the written portion of your application.

John Abbott College

Since John Abbott College opened in 1971, it has been a significant part of English post-secondary education in Quebec and a pillar in the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue community. Today, the College caters to over 6500 day students and more than 2000 Continuing Education students from Québec, Canada and abroad.

John Abbott College offers a wide range of career and pre-university programs specifically designed to give students the necessary tools to succeed in society. In addition to having a dedicated and knowledgeable teaching staff and quality facilities, the College goes above and beyond by offering outstanding services to its students, and all this from a breathtaking lakeside campus.

John Abbott College has always been a strong supporter of developing, in partnership, educational programs tailored for the Cree Nation. Starting in the 1970's with a Nursing program and continuing today with Iyeskuwiiu and the Cree Springboard to Nursing.