Building community, one study session at a time

Every year, VIU offers Peer Supported Learning, a program that helps students improve their grades and learn effective study strategies.

Peer Supported Learning, or PSL, offers free, regularly scheduled, informal study sessions led by a senior student who has been successful in a specific course. It supports first-year courses that students often struggle with in subjects such as Math, Kinesiology, Chemistry, Biology and Psychology. Students who attend PSL sessions generally increase their mark by at least one letter grade.

This year, PSL includes ENGL 117: University Writing and Research: Indigenous Focus. Reflecting on the diversity that exists on campus, PSL Program Coordinator Samantha Letourneau felt it was important to secure a PSL leader for ENGL 117 who students could relate to and feel comfortable to learn with. 

“For learning to happen, we need to create safe spaces where people feel comfortable to share thoughts and experiences without fear of judgment,” she says. “For the PSL program it means that we have leaders who value and respect all who access learning here.”

Jackie Finch nee Schmidbauer was the successful applicant, a second-year Bachelor of Arts student majoring in Indigenous/Xwulmuwx Studies. Jackie is of Coast Salish and European descent and belongs to the Sts’ailes Nation. Sts’ailes Xa’xa Temexw includes the entirety of Harrison Lake, Harrison River, Chehalis Lake, Chehalis River, the lower Lillooet River, the northeastern part of Stave Lake, and the Fraser River between Hooknose and Queens Island. 

Being a PSL leader has given Jackie a sense of pride and fulfilment.

“I have truly valued the relationships that have emerged from my sessions. Most importantly, I remember how difficult ENGL 117 was for me initially, and I take great satisfaction in helping students navigate the course with greater ease. I hope what they learn in my sessions will also benefit them in other classes.”

Jackie says offering ENGL 117 is an essential step toward decolonizing VIU, an urgently needed process across all post-secondary institutions in Canada. Including PSL support in the ENGL 117 sections further emphasizes the importance of Indigenous knowledges and ways of being, she adds.

In her sessions, Jackie actively encourages students to share their unique knowledges and personal experiences related to the course content.

“This enriches our discussions and fosters a collaborative learning environment. This peer-to-peer interaction enhances individual understanding and builds a sense of community among participants.”

Building inclusive practice into the sessions, Jackie is also engaging students to recognize and value their personal knowledge and worth.

“This initiative is not just about academic success. It’s about creating a more inclusive and equitable educational environment. I hope to see and be a part of more Indigenous PSL sessions in the future, as continued growth in this area will benefit both students and the broader community.”

Interested in having a PSL leader in your classroom or being a PSL leader? Contact: psl@viu.ca.