Our Impact and Approach
Supporting Capacity
Creating Change
"When you're put in a position to really affect young people who are going to run the world one day, if you're able to be in their life at a young age and make a positive impact, I think that's a beautiful thing."
Zendaya
Grounded in Community, Informed by Practice, Focussed on Systems Change
For more than eight years, All Nations Driving Academy has worked alongside Indigenous communities across British Columbia to support access to driver licensing, road safety education, and mobility. What began as a direct response to community-identified barriers has evolved into a broader, capacity-building approach that supports individuals, communities, and systems alike.
This page outlines how our work creates impact—through practice, learning, and long-term commitment.
Why Mobility Matters
Driver licensing is often treated as an individual responsibility or a technical requirement. Through years of community-based work, we have learned that access to licensing is shaped by much more than skill or motivation.
Geography, enforcement-based systems, inconsistent access to instruction, limited public transportation, and the legacy of colonization all influence who is able to move safely and freely within their communities.
Mobility is not an isolated issue. It is directly connected to employment, education, caregiving, safety, health, and community connection. When access to transportation is limited, other opportunities become harder—or impossible—to reach.
All Nations Driving Academy exists to address these realities with approaches rooted in trust, respect, and lived experience.
Our Approach
Our work is guided by principles developed through long-standing relationships with Indigenous communities:
- Trust before compliance
- Access before assessment
- Safety without shame
- Community choice and control
- Indigenous leadership as best practice
These principles shape how we design programs, support funding and policy work, and engage with partners. They ensure that our work remains accountable to the people and communities most affected by licensing and mobility systems.
From Direct Delivery to Capacity Building
In our early years, All Nations Driving Academy provided community-based driver education in response to immediate needs. This work revealed both the importance of individual support and the limitations of addressing systemic barriers through instruction alone.
Over time, it became clear that lasting change required:
- Stronger alignment between funding and real delivery costs
- Policies informed by on-the-ground realities
- Community-led solutions supported by sustainable infrastructure
As a result, All Nations Driving Academy transitioned away from in-vehicle instruction to focus on capacity-building and systems-informed support.
Today, our work includes:
- Online driver education for Class 7L and Class 4 licensing
- Grant writing and funding alignment support for Indigenous communities and organizations
- Policy, advocacy, and advisory work grounded in lived delivery experience
This evolution allows us to share knowledge, expand access, and support sustainable, Indigenous-led pathways to mobility—without replacing local instruction or community leadership.
Our Impact
Individual Impact
- Increased confidence and preparedness for licensing
- Reduced anxiety related to testing and enforcement
- Improved understanding of road safety and responsibility
Community Impact
- Expanded access to employment, education, and services
- Strengthened local capacity to support licensing pathways
- Safer driving practices rooted in understanding and accountability
Systems Impact
- Policy and funding conversations grounded in lived experience
- Greater recognition of Indigenous-led approaches as best practice
- Progress toward more equitable and accessible licensing systems
Since our inception, All Nations Driving Academy has supported successful funding applications totaling over $2 million, contributing to Indigenous-owned driving initiatives, expanded access to education and testing, and hundreds of newly licensed drivers across British Columbia.
From Story to Systems Change
Story is central to Indigenous knowledge and learning. Throughout our work, we have been entrusted with stories that revealed the deep connection between mobility, safety, and the impacts of colonization.
With care and responsibility, these experiences informed our engagement with policymakers and institutions, ensuring that community realities were reflected in discussions about licensing, safety, and access.
In 2020, this work culminated in the authorship of The Road to Reconciliation, commissioned by the Union of BC Indian Chiefs and endorsed unanimously by resolution. The report called for coordinated, systems-level action across provincial ministries and agencies to address structural barriers to Indigenous driver licensing.
Several recommendations outlined in the report have since been implemented, while others remain ongoing—reflecting both progress and the need for sustained commitment.
Transportation as a Social Determinant of Health
Through years of practice and policy engagement, one truth has become clear: transportation security underpins nearly every other social determinant of health.
Access to safe, reliable transportation affects:
- Economic participation
- Education and training
- Personal and community safety
- Access to health and social services
- Connection to family, culture, and community
These challenges are not unique to British Columbia. They reflect global patterns of exclusion and the intergenerational impacts of colonization that continue to shape access and opportunity.
Our Commitment Moving Forward
All Nations Driving Academy remains committed to Indigenous-led approaches to mobility and road safety that are grounded in community trust, lived experience, and long-term responsibility. Our work moving forward will continue to focus on supporting communities, organizations, and public systems in ways that are practical, respectful, and responsive to real-world conditions.
We will continue to share the knowledge gained through years of delivery and policy engagement, supporting programs and funding approaches that are realistic, sustainable, and shaped by community priorities. Our role is not to replace local leadership or instruction, but to strengthen the systems that influence access—ensuring they are better equipped to serve Indigenous communities now and into the future.
At its core, this work is about connection: between policy and practice, between access and opportunity, and between systems and the people they were meant to support.
Learn More
To understand how this approach is applied through our programs, advisory work, and partnerships, explore the following: