When you join Okanagan College, you’re joining a team that’s transforming lives and communities.

Every course you create, every student you support and every connection you build, it all matters.

Be a part of a vibrant campus community, where the work you do every day truly makes a difference.

Desired Start Date: November 2, 2026

Position End Date: June 29, 2027

Salary range: $18.42 - $23.51

Bargaining Unit: BCGEU Support

Classification: Research Assistant

Type of appointment: Non-regular on-call

Closing date: November 1, 2026

Description of Project

The Roots of Resilience Program Evaluation is a five-year, Indigenous-led evaluation of Rise Up Indigenous Wellness’s Roots of Resilience program, which supports Indigenous youth in building resilience and cultural connectedness. It is a partnership between Okanagan College Applied Research and Rise Up, in collaboration with Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw, Adams Lake Indian Band, Neskonlith Indian Band and Splatsin First Nation, and is funded through Rise Up’s grant from Public Safety Canada’s National Crime Prevention Strategy. Dr. Saran Mallinson is the Principal Investigator (PI).

Approach: The project treats evaluation as an Indigenous value and practice that serves communities and Nations. The evaluation is community-driven, strengths-based, centered around cultural practices and focuses on culturally-grounded measures. It is guided by relational accountability, reciprocity and data sovereignty, follows OCAP® principles, and recognizes storytelling and lived experience as credible, rigorous evidence. Evaluation methods may include storytelling and arts-based approaches, such as photography, video, performance and crafts, co-designed with Rise Up and the Advisory Circle.



Rise Up’s leadership and Advisory Circle guide the evaluation’s governance, cultural safety and knowledge sharing.

Year 1 (‘Building the Foundation’ ) and the first part of Year 2 (‘Learning from Implementation), until June 29th 2027, are relationship-building years. No research with human participants takes place during this time. The PI and the Research Assistant (RA) will build relationships with Rise Up and the Advisory Circle and co-create the governance structure, partnership protocols, evaluation framework, and data protocols for all five years, and the Year 2 REB application. Data collection begins in the second part of Year 2 (September 2027 onwards), after OC’s Research Ethics Board (REB) approval. The PI, the RA and Rise Up will submit the Year 2 REB application on Thursday, June 17, 2027, for the REB’s Thursday, July 8, 2027 meeting.

Tasks/Responsibilities

Based in Salmon Arm, the RA will support Year 1 and Part 1 of Year 2, with a focus on taking the time to build relationships and start well and co-creating content and products in partnership with Rise Up.

The RA’s tasks may include: (1) In-person meetings and engagements in Salmon Arm, with partners, and virtual meetings with the PI, based in Kelowna. (2) Being the local point of contact in Salmon Arm. (3) Scheduling, logistics, taking meeting notes, and organizing shared files. (4)



Learning about the four Nations’ governance and cultural protocols. (5) Supporting with the creation of appropriate data governance protocols, including data storage and software. (6) Drafting and revising elements of the evaluation framework, including engagement of partners, the Roots of Resilience program description, evaluation approach and risks, data collection, data interpretation, communication plan for evaluation findings and the evaluation timeline. This work will be co-created with Rise Up and the four Nations, and will include integrating place-specific Indigenous worldviews and ways of knowing. (7) Drafting and revising the Year 2 Joint Annual Workplan. (8) Drafting and revising data collection tools, consent materials and OC’s Research Ethics Board application. Career development opportunities, funded by the external partner, are available for this position, based on the candidate’s availability and interest.

Location of Work

This position is based in Salmon Arm and is open to candidates who live in or near Salmon Arm. The RA will work with Rise Up in person in Salmon Arm and the surrounding region, and with their supervisor, the PI, virtually or in person in Salmon Arm. No travel to Kelowna or other OC campuses is required.

Funding

The project is funded for approximately 114 hours of RA time. Hourly pay rate is set by the BCGEU collective agreement (LOU #3) and determined by education and experience.

Hours

The 114 hours cover the full period from November 1, 2026 to June 29, 2027. During the week of November 16, 2026, while the PI is in Salmon Arm, the RA will introduce themselves in person to Rise Up, if they are available; this introduction is paid time. Beyond this,

📌 Research Assistant (Salmon Arm)
🏢 Okanagan College
📍 Salmon Arm