The NEC Native Education College is a registered private aboriginal

Aboriginal peoples in Canada

Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....

 college

College

A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

 based in Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

, British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. It is governed by non-profit society and is a registered charitable organization

Charitable organization

A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

.

Programs and courses offered include:

• Aboriginal Adult Basic Education
• Health Care Attendant
• Aboriginal Land Stewardship
• Aboriginal Tourism Operations
• Aboriginal Tourism Management
• Family and Community Counseling
  Community Counseling
  Community counseling is a generic term for any kind of professional counseling that occurs outside a hospital setting....
  
  
• Early Childhood Education
  Early childhood education
  Early childhood education is the formal teaching and care of young children by people other than their family or in settings outside of the home. 'Early childhood' is usually defined as before the age of normal schooling - five years in most nations, though the U.S...
  
  
• Aboriginal Justice Studies
• Applied Business Technology
• Northwest Coast Jewellry Arts

History

Although NEC (formerly Native Education Centre) had existed since 1967, it was in 1979 that the society was formed to assume control and broaden the scope of education to include academic post-secondary courses. The school moved into its current facilities in 1985, a building featuring architectural features of a traditional Pacific Coast longhouse

Native American long house

Longhouses were built by native peoples in various parts of North America, sometimes reaching over but generally around wide. The dominant theory is that walls were made of sharpened and fire-hardened poles driven into the ground and the roof consisted of leaves and grass...

.

The Board of Directors of NEC Native Education Society made the decision to cease operations of NEC Native Education College effective July 31, 2007. This decision was overturned in late July with support of the Ministry of Advanced Education to develop a new funding formula for private Aboriginal colleges in late 2007.