Research Assistant - Roots of Resilience Program Evaluation with Rise Up Indigenous Wellness

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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.

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. Professional development opportunities, funded by the external partner, are available for this position, based on the candidate’s availability and interest.

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.

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.

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, the RA’s in-person attendance at events is flexible and will be arranged around their availability and the preferences of Rise Up and the PI. After November, hours will vary from week to week, averaging about 2–3 hours per week. The timing and pace of the work will be guided by Rise Up, the Advisory Circle and their partners, as well as the PI. Some weeks may have no hours and others more, including in the lead-up to the June 17, 2027 REB submission. The RA may be invited to program gatherings and community events, some of which fall on evenings or weekends; attendance will depend on partner invitations, the RA's availability and the hours remaining. Hours are paid through OC payroll via bi-weekly timesheets.

Required:
- A completed degree in community research and evaluation or a related field.
- Hands-on program evaluation experience, paid or unpaid (e.g., process evaluation, qualitative coding, presenting findings to community partners). - Experience working with Indigenous communities or organizations in a culturally safe and respectful way.
- Strong writing skills, including turning findings into short, accessible, plain language reports.
- Strong organization and coordination skills (scheduling, logistics, record-keeping).
- Ability to work independently without set hours and submit accurate bi-weekly timesheets.
- Commitment to confidentiality and to OCAP® principles.
- Lives in or near Salmon Arm.

Preferred (not required):
- A recent OC graduate holding an Applied BA in Community Research and Evaluation.
- Available to meet Rise Up in person during the week of November 16, 2026, and able to work some evenings or weekends. Knowledge of Indigenous evaluation approaches (e.g., the Evaluating in a Good Way framework).
- Experience with storytelling or arts-based methods (e.g., photography, videography, performance or crafts) in research, evaluation or community settings. Creative skills in any of these areas are also welcome.
- An existing relationship with Rise Up Indigenous Wellness or Salmon Arm youth-serving networks (e.g., Shuswap Youth Services Collaborative).
- Training in trauma-informed practice, vicarious trauma and anti-racism.
- OCAP® Fundamentals certification.

Aptitudes: cultural humility, healthy boundaries, openness to direction and feedback from partners, a trauma-informed approach, and patience with relational work that moves at the partners’ pace.

This Research Assistant will support a project led by an Indigenous organization. The work takes place in close partnership with Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw, Adams Lake Indian Band, Neskonlith Indian Band and Splatsin First Nation. Okanagan College will give preference to qualified applicants who self-identify as indigenous. If you self-identify as Indigenous, please include this information in your cover letter. We welcome applications from all qualified people.

Okanagan College is committed to increasing the equitable and inclusive participation of marginalized people in all aspects of college life. We welcome and encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black People, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, people with disabilities and people with diverse gender identities or expressions. People with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, AccessibilityHR@okanagan.bc.ca.