September 21, 2026
Programs + Pathways | Research | News + Alumni | Learn more + Get involved
Through innovative programs and pathways, the Faculty of Education is creating new opportunities that honour Indigenous knowledges, strengthen community connections and open doors to future generations of educators and leaders.
New Pathway: Provincial Teacher Mentorship Pilot Program (PTMPP)
The PTMPP offers a First Nations Pathway for up to 50 First Nations teacher participants, including both mentors and mentees, across BC during the 2026–27 academic year. The PTMPP aims to support teacher retention and professional fulfillment throughout the province, with a particular focus on supporting new teachers (with up to three years of experience) through a distinctions-based approach.
Interested participants may contact the PTMPP First Nation Branch Coordinator, Irene Isaac at irene.isaac@ubc.ca.
New Program: Indigenous Land- and Place-Based Diploma in Early Years Education – Recruiting January 2027 cohort
A two-year, part-time certificate program recruiting educators in rural, remote and Indigenous communities, grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing, relational learning, community engagement and place- and land-based pedagogies.
Programs
Indigenous Teacher Education Program (NITEP)
A trailblazing B.Ed. program rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing, dedicated to training Indigenous educators through community-based field centres and culturally grounded pedagogy.
Learn-and-Earn Program
A transformative, year-long program in which Indigenous high school students strengthen cultural connections, complete graduation requirements and earn early university credits — all while opening powerful pathways to teaching and leadership.
M.Ed. in Indigenous Education – Recruiting 2027 Cohort
A two and a half-year, part-time master’s degree program addressing policy, programmatic, curricular and community/parental relationship priorities pertaining to Indigenous education.
MOOC: Nurturing Childhoods through Indigenous Ways of Knowing
A free, interactive online course (six to eight weeks) that helps educators, families and service providers enrich early learning by integrating Indigenous knowledge and pedagogies.
Ts”kel: Indigenous Ed.D. Specialization
A groundbreaking doctoral pathway rooted in community, empowering Indigenous scholars and leaders through flexible, cohort-based learning in educational leadership and resurgence.
Across the Faculty, Indigenous scholars and partners are leading research that disrupts colonial narratives, re-centres Indigenous knowledges and sparks innovative approaches to education, community and well-being.
Margaret Kovach
Exploring how Indigenous graduate students at universities throughout Canada can be supported by Indigenous PeerPlus, a new approach to support Indigenous scholarship and communities.
Dr. Candace K. Galla
Research funded by the Spencer Foundation, on Hawaiian language and Indigenous languages, emphasizes education and community-centered revitalization, digital technology, well-being, traditional and cultural practices and policy and planning.
Dr. Jan Hare
Improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal/Indigenous learners by centering Indigenous knowledge systems within educational reform from early childhood education to post-secondary, recognizing the holistic and multidisciplinary nature of Indigenous education.
Dr. Cash Ahenakew
Committed to the development of Indigenous theories, curriculum, pedagogies and mixed methodologies while working on addressing the complexities at the interface between Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledges, education, methodology and ceremony.
Dr. Johanna Sam – Building Resilience to Cyberbullying
Exploring how Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth experience and cope with cyber-aggression, drawing on Two-Eyed Seeing to bring Indigenous and Western perspectives together.
From pioneering programs to inspiring alumni, these stories highlight the achievements, leadership and lasting impact of Indigenous educators and advocates within the UBC community and beyond.
Okanagan wild horses are helping Indigenous youth heal and reconnect with cultural traditions
The Youth, Elders, Ecology, Horses and Health (YEEHAH) project is an innovative equine-assisted therapy initiative that responds to the need for culturally grounded wellness frameworks for Indigenous youth. Featured researchers: Dr. Bill Cohen, Assistant Professor, UBC Okanagan School of Education and Dr. Róisín Seifert, Postdoctoral Researcher UBC Okanagan School of Education.
UBC ECPS Associate Professor Dr. Johanna Sam – Episode 13 of Health Yalhtɨg
Meaningful conversation exploring Indigenous Youth experiences growing up in an increasingly digital world while maintaining significant connections to culture, language, community and the land.
Indigenous Education Alumni Network (IEAN)
A vibrant and growing community that fosters connection, collaboration and collective action among alumni dedicated to Indigenous education.
Bringing Indigenous Teacher Education Home
NITEP’s new Lax Kw’alaams Field Centre expands access to teacher education in Northern B.C., bringing culturally rooted training closer to Indigenous communities.
Reconciliation & Decolonization Alumni Award
Celebrating Kaleb Child, B.Ed. ’01 (2026 recipient) and Alannah Young, M.A. ’06, Ph.D. ’15 (2025 recipient) for their outstanding leadership and contributions to advancing reconciliation and decolonization.
From landmark lectures and community events to professional learning and opportunities for giving, there are many ways to deepen your engagement with Indigenous education and reconciliation at UBC.
Events
Walk With Us: The Path Towards Reconciliation—A community dialogue inspired by Valley of the Birdtail | September 23
Join the authors and co-authors of the book for a conversation about reconciliation, equity and pathways forward. The event includes a reception, guided tours of Indigenous installations and an audience Q&A. Register here.
Orange Shirt Day: Learn, Reflect, Create with the TEO | September 29
Members of the UBC community are invited to stop by the TEO’s booth on September 29, to make an “Every Child Matters” button and to explore teacher resources on the residential school system and reconciliation.
2026 Intergenerational March to Commemorate Orange Shirt Day | September 30
A powerful march of solidarity uniting students, faculty, staff and community members to honour Survivors, their families and their communities. The event is both a commemoration and a call to action — affirming that every child matters and that reconciliation is a shared responsibility.
Where Have All the Buffalo Gone? by Tai Amy Grauman | September 30
The play takes audiences through the emergence of the Métis Nation across the plains, then leads into the robust colonization that arises from the fur trade, the disappearance of the buffalo, as well as the political uprising of the Métis Association of Alberta in the 1930s. The story starts in creation among the stars and ends in 2024.
Professional development courses for educators
Indigenous Institute: Engaging with Indigenous Curriculum
An immersive, in-person institute equipping BC educators to decolonize and Indigenize their practice while deepening understanding of Indigenous histories, positionality and anti-oppression.
The UBC Faculty of Education is situated within the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) and Syilx (Okanagan) peoples.
