Atlantic Veterinary College’s first Indigenous Vet Camp pilot project a success
The Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) is thrilled to share the success of its first Indigenous Vet Camp. This pilot project, designed specifically for Indigenous youth, provided a unique opportunity for junior and high school students to explore veterinary medicine.
The camp offered a week-long immersive experience where nearly 40 students from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island engaged in hands-on activities such as hospital rounds and large and small animal physicals and learned about animal health in farm, domestic, and wildlife settings. The goal was to ignite a passion for veterinary medicine among Indigenous youth, while building a foundation for establishing the camp as a permanent fixture in the AVC summer events schedule.
The response to the camp was overwhelmingly positive, with the campers sharing their excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to learn. For many, it was their first exposure to the veterinary field, and they left the camp with a renewed sense of possibility for their futures.
One camper remarked, “I learned so much! I want to try to be a vet and attend vet med school. I love this camp and want to come here again.”
The AVC thanks VCA Canada for their financial support and commitment to this initiative and to Mi’kmaw Kina’Matnewey for their partnership and guidance in ensuring that the camp was both educational and culturally relevant.
“The success of this pilot project inspires the AVC to continue this important work, and we are already planning for future Indigenous camps that will build on this accomplishment with the hope of expanding the College’s reach and impact,” said Dr. Dominique Griffon, dean of the AVC.
The Indigenous Vet Camp was an addition to this year’s popular Dr. Tim Ogilvie AVC Vet Camp program, which welcomes 200 junior and high school students each summer to the AVC to learn about veterinary medicine during four one-week camps.
