Bachelor of Education (BEd) – Indigenous Teacher Education Program – NITEP
Graduates of the BEd program (Elementary or Secondary) are prepared to be effective educators for public, band-operated and independent schools. The First Nations Education Council, which developed and advises the program, is made up of Aboriginal educators, UBC Faculty, coordinator representatives, a BCTF representative, and NITEP student representatives.
As a contemporary program with traditional values, NITEP truly exemplifies how culture can be integrated within a mainstream post-secondary institution. Students may begin NITEP in one of three field centres throughout BC, allowing students to maintain their connection to home and community while pursuing their education. The cohort structure of NITEP allows students to bond and become a family as they experience the program together. Students have likened their experience to a canoe journey; the more they pull together the easier it becomes. NITEP students and graduates are role models and agents of change and empowerment.
Master of Education (MEd) – Ts’‘Kel Program
Ts’‘kel, which means golden eagle in the Hal’qemeylem language, was originally established in 1984 as a program of study leading to a Master of Education in Administration. Ts’‘kel students are engaged in interdisciplinary research on social and educational topics related to schooling, Aboriginal community development, and historical and theoretical work that has a direct relationship to First Nations health and welfare.
Ts’‘kel is an integrated program for advancing Aboriginal access and Indigenous content in education and across disciplines throughout UBC. Students do not apply to Ts’‘kel, but to the department and a graduate program of their choice.
MOOC – Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education
This course will help you envision how Indigenous histories, perspectives, worldviews, and approaches to learning can be made part of the work we do in classrooms, organizations, communities, and our everyday experiences in ways that are thoughtful and respectful. In this course, reconciliation emphasizes changing institutional structures, practices, and policies, as well as personal and professional ideologies to create environments that are committed to strengthening our relationships with Indigenous peoples.
For educators, this means responding to educational reforms that prioritize improved educational outcomes for Indigenous learners. In addition, educators must support all learners to develop their knowledge and understanding of Indigenous people’s worldviews and cultures as a basis for creating equitable and inclusive learning spaces. To support these goals, teachers, administrators, young people, school staff, and researchers will learn from Indigenous Elders, educational leaders, and culturally relevant learning resources as part of their experiences in this MOOC.
For others who want to build their own competence and the capacity of those around them to engage in relationships with Indigenous peoples based on intercultural understanding, empathy, and respect, this course will help get you started in this process.
