Montreal college teams up with Kativik School Board to train Nunavik educators
A Montreal college is partnering with the Kativik School Board to offer a program training Nunavik educators.
The program, Attestation of Collegial Studies (AEC) in Integrated Support Techniques, is designed for staff in Nunavik already working as behaviour technicians or special education workers.
Mamadou Falilou Diop, who leads adult education for the Nunavik school board, said the program will benefit staff already working in schools.
“The program is based on the recognition of prior learning and skills developed in the workplace,” he said. “We hope that the individuals who participate will feel both valued by this initiative and motivated by the prospect of enhancing their knowledge, strengthening their current skills, and acquiring new ones.”
Focus on northern realities
This initiative is funded by Quebec’s Ministry of Higher Education and is part of the province’s Plan Nord Action Plan.
Graduates will earn an official AEC certification, recognized by the Ministry, which can help them find work in schools, daycare centers, youth protection services, and other care facilities.
A statement from the college said the 450-hour program was created with a special focus on northern realities and includes role-playing, visual demonstrations, and real-world materials.
The use of Inuktitut, to make the program accessible and relevant to the Inuit community, will also be part of the lessons.
“We’re thrilled about this new partnership and the potential it offers to change the lives of remote Inuit communities in Quebec,” Gregory De Luca, director of Continuing Education at Vanier College, said on Wednesday.
“This is the kind of work that has lasting positive effects on society, and we are excited about the prospect of offering a College Diploma in Integrated Support Techniques to many people in Nunavik in the years to come.”
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Community committees allow Yukon First Nations to have more say over schools, CBC News
Norway: Can cross-border cooperation help decolonize Sami-language education, Eye on the Arctic
