The University of Northern British Columbia will be starting a new program in Terrace this May that is aimed at increasing the number of aboriginal school teachers in northern BC. Currently, only about 2% of the school teachers in BC are aboriginal, despite the fact aboriginal students make up 7% of the BC student population.

The Aboriginal Teacher Education Bridging program (ATEB) will be offered at UNBC’s Terrace campus. It’s expected that about 20 students will register in the program, which will consist of two semesters of courses. The courses will include offerings in math and science, English, First Nations Studies, geography, and writing and composition.

“The development of academic skills will be complemented by a variety of field experiences and general exposure to a university environment. This experience will open the door to future enrolment in a teacher education program, such as UNBC’s Bachelor of Education program,” says Judith Lapadat, head of UNBC’s Northwest Campus in Terrace.

The ATEB program will be coordinated by Laura Gosnell (pictured to the left), who will be graduating from UNBC’s Master of Education program this fall. Laura is from Terrace and completed the coursework for her master’s degree in Terrace. Lisa McLeod of Terrace, who is currently working at the Terrace campus, will be providing student support services for the ATEB program. Funding has been provided by the BC First Nations Education Steering Committee.

UNBC’s Bachelor of Education (BEd) program started in 2002 and consists of two years of coursework and practical experience following the completion of a bachelor’s degree in a teachable subject area. The UNBC program currently has 107 students in the elementary and secondary streams. UNBC also has a teacher education program underway in Hazelton, which is preparing students to become Gitksan language teachers. Eleven students graduated with UNBC diplomas last year and are obtaining Developmental Standard Term Certificates for First Nations language teaching. The certificate is fully transferable to completing a BEd.

Students interested in joining the ATEB program should visit UNBC’s Terrace campus at 4741 Park Avenue or call 615-5578.