Shkoday

What Shkoday does

Shkoday Abinojiiwak Obimiwedoon is an Indigenous-led charitable non-profit organization headquartered at 1610 John Street Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Incorporated on January 20, 1997, the organization delivers culturally grounded programs for Indigenous children, youth, and families across an age continuum from 18 months through high school. Its three core programs are: Aboriginal Head Start, a holistic early childhood education program licensed under Ontario's Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 for 62 children across four classrooms; Biwaase'aa, an in-school and after-school program operating in eight Thunder Bay schools and serving over 1,600 children per month; and Pathways Thunder Bay, launched in Winter 2023 in partnership with the Regional Multicultural Youth Centre to increase Indigenous high school graduation rates.

Name

Shkoday

Legal name

Shkoday Abinojiiwak Obimiwedoon

Website

https://shkoday.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shkoday is an Indigenous-led charitable non-profit in Thunder Bay, Canada, delivering culturally grounded early childhood, after-school, and high school support programs to over 1,600 Indigenous children and youth monthly.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Community Services and Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDACABAK

Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs

Education/Early Childhood Education/Preschools & Pre-K Programs

SECONDARYEDACAHAI

Enrichment-Focused Before/After Care (Arts, STEM, Language)

Education/Early Childhood Education/Before & After School Care (Early Years)

SECONDARYEDAJAEAJ

Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Alternative & At-Risk K–12 Education (Continuation, Recovery, Juvenile)

SECONDARYBPADAKAB

Early Childhood Development (ECD) & Pre-Primary Education

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Education & Skills Development Programs

Keywords

• Indigenous youth services
• Early childhood education
• Aboriginal Head Start
• Cultural mentorship programs
• Community-based education

Headquarters

HQ city

Thunder Bay

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Grants: Shkoday operates as a charitable non-profit organization primarily funded through government grants and public funding. Major funders include the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) for the Aboriginal Head Start program, the Ontario Ministry of Education, and the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board (TBDSSAB). Additional funding comes from United Way Thunder Bay and private partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shkoday Abinojiiwak Obimiwedoon is an Indigenous-led charitable non-profit that delivers a continuum of culturally grounded programs for Indigenous children, youth, and families in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Its core offerings are Aboriginal Head Start (licensed early childhood education for ages 18 months to 6 years funded by PHAC), Biwaase'aa (in-school and after-school academic, cultural, and nutritional support for ages 7-13 delivered through partner elementary schools), and Pathways Thunder Bay (mentoring, tutoring, and graduation support for Indigenous high school students). All programs integrate traditional Anishinaabe teachings, the Seven Grandfather Teachings, and the Medicine Wheel philosophy, and are provided free of charge to participants.

Product overview

Shkoday Abinojiiwak Obimiwedoon is an Indigenous-led charitable organization offering a continuum of holistic programs for Indigenous children, youth, and families. The organization operates three core programs: Aboriginal Head Start (early childhood education for ages 18 months to 6 years), Biwaase'aa (in-school and after-school programming for ages 7-13), and Pathways Thunder Bay (high school support and graduation assistance). These programs are designed to nurture cultural identity, academic success, and overall wellbeing through culturally grounded curriculum, mentorship, and family support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aboriginal Head Start Holistic early childhood education program for Indigenous children ages 18 months to 6 years, providing culturally appropriate programming based on Public Health Agency of Canada objectives. Licensed through the Ontario Ministry of Education under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014, with capacity for 62 children across four classrooms at the Shkoday main office.
• Biwaase'aa After-school and in-school program for Indigenous children and youth ages 7-13, providing academic support, life skills, cultural teachings, mentorship, and nutritional supplementation delivered through partnerships with seven Thunder Bay elementary schools (McKellar Park Central, Ogden Community, Our Lady of Charity, Sherbrooke, St. Ann, St. James, St. Vincent, Vance Chapman) and one high school. Reaches over 1,600 Indigenous and non-Indigenous children per month.
• Pathways Thunder Bay Community-based program for Indigenous high school students designed to increase graduation rates through tutoring, mentoring, leadership development, cultural programming, financial incentives, and advocacy, helping registered students graduate and successfully transition to post-secondary education or employment.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Biwaase'aa program has supported over 1,600+ Indigenous and non-Indigenous children per month
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Regional Multicultural Youth CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The Regional Multicultural Youth Centre partnered with Shkoday to pilot and launch Pathways Thunder Bay, an adaptation of the Pathways to Education program. This partnership brings the award-winning Pathways Program to Thunder Bay to increase high school graduation rates among Indigenous students.
• Shania Kids Can (SKC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 October 2021Shania Kids Can, founded by country music icon Shania Twain in 2010, partnered with Shkoday and United Way Thunder Bay to expand the Biwaase'aa program. SKC provides funding and support similar to Shkoday's mission of helping children succeed in school and life through academic improvement, emotional development, cultural awareness, and nutritional support. The partnership brought the Biwaase'aa program to St. Vincent Catholic Elementary School starting October 12, 2021.
• United Way of Thunder BaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 October 2021United Way of Thunder Bay serves as a key strategic partner and funder, working collaboratively with Shkoday and Shania Kids Can to support Indigenous children, youth, and families. United Way's strategic priority includes enhancing Indigenous Collaboration, and they connected SKC with Shkoday to fund the new Biwaase'aa program. United Way has been serving the Thunder Bay community since 1967.
• St. Vincent Catholic Elementary SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 October 2021St. Vincent Catholic Elementary School, part of the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board, partnered with Shkoday to host the Biwaase'aa program. The school, with 101 students (39% self-identified as Indigenous), received the program in October 2021 to provide culturally relevant in-school programming, after-school programming, and additional food support.
• Ontario Native Welfare Administrators (ONWA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2021ONWA partnered with Shkoday, Dilico, Anishnawbe Mushkiki, and Matawa to host a live Urban Indigenous Vaccination Q&A Panel in May 2021 to address vaccine hesitancy and encourage vaccinations in the Indigenous community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tungasuvvingat Inuit: Inuit-specific community services organization based in Ottawa. Comparable as an Indigenous-led urban service provider delivering culturally rooted supports (education, health, family programming) for Indigenous children, youth, and families.
• Native Child and Family Services of Toronto: Indigenous child welfare and family services agency serving urban Indigenous communities in Toronto. Highly comparable in mission (Indigenous children and families, cultural programming, wraparound support) but operates at greater urban scale in a different geography.
• Anishnawbe Mushkiki: Indigenous-led Aboriginal Health Access Centre based in Thunder Bay. Comparable as a Thunder Bay-based Indigenous-led organization delivering culturally grounded services to Indigenous children, youth, and families, including a documented partner of Shkoday.
• Matawa First Nations Management: Tribal council providing education, health, and community services to five First Nations in Northern Ontario. Overlaps with Shkoday on Indigenous education programming, youth development, and joint public-health initiatives (e.g., the 2021 vaccination panel).
• Dilico Anishinabek Family Care: Indigenous integrated child and family services organization serving communities across Northern Ontario, including Thunder Bay. Delivers overlapping cultural- and community-based programming for Indigenous children and families, making it the closest regional peer in mission and target population.

Broad incumbents

• Indspire: National Indigenous-led charity funding Indigenous education from K–12 through post-secondary. Overlaps with Shkoday in mission (Indigenous educational attainment) but operates at national scale as a funder rather than direct service provider.
• Pathways to Education: National Canadian charity that operates the proven Pathways program to increase high school graduation rates in low-income communities. Shkoday's Pathways Thunder Bay is an Indigenous-specific adaptation of this model, making it the originating incumbent that anchors Shkoday's high school programming strategy.
• Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres: Provincial umbrella for 29 Indigenous Friendship Centres delivering urban Indigenous services across Ontario, including education and youth programming. Overlaps with Shkoday's mission and population but operates as a federation/incumbent over a province-wide footprint.

Emerging players

• Ontario Native Women's Association (ONWA): Provincial Indigenous women's organization delivering community-based programs including youth engagement. Already a listed Shkoday partner (2021 vaccination panel), and shares a Thunder Bay / Northern Ontario service footprint with overlapping Indigenous family programming.

Regional players

• Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre: Indigenous-led children and family services organization based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Comparable in service model (community-based Indigenous child welfare, education, and cultural programming) though operating in a different Prairie-region urban context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ignitingthespirit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shkoday-abinojiiwak-obimiwedoon

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shkoday