Bringing Teacher Education Home
NITEP Lax Kw’alaams Field Centre to Open in Northern B.C.
Faculty of Education (NITEP), the University of British Columbia, in partnership with Lax Kw’alaams First Nation | ITE Grant Recipient | $998,666 | Reinforce Stream
Region:
As NITEP celebrates 50 years of Indigenous teacher education at the University of British Columbia, the program is marking this milestone with a bold new chapter: the launch of a Field Centre in Lax Kw’alaams—one of the most ambitious community-based expansions of NITEP to date.
This new centre will deliver UBC’s full Bachelor of Education program, including a 21-credit Indigenous Education specialization, directly in Prince Rupert and surrounding communities. The result? Indigenous students from Lax Kw’alaams, Metlakatla, and Kitkatla can now earn their degrees—and teacher certification—without leaving home.
A Community-Led Response to an Urgent Need
In School District 52, where nearly 62% of students are Indigenous, the underrepresentation of Indigenous teachers in classrooms has created a gap that this initiative is poised to fill.
Leaders like Lisa Green (Education Manager, Lax Kw’alaams) and Roberta Edzerza (District Principal of Indigenous Education) have championed this effort from the start, identifying community members ready to teach and lead in their schools. Their call was clear: local students need local teachers—role models who understand their communities, cultures, and languages.
Why this matters – A Decentralized Model That Works
Over the past four years, NITEP has grown rapidly, thanks in part to its innovative Field Centre model. By delivering the full B.Ed. program in-community—without requiring students to relocate—it has expanded access to teacher education and removed key barriers. As a result, enrolment is at record highs in Lake Babine and Vancouver.
With a new Field Centre in Lax Kw’alaams, NITEP will support 40 Indigenous students over four years, building a strong foundation for culturally rooted education in the North. Graduates will go on to teach in Prince Rupert and nearby communities, creating more welcoming, culturally responsive classrooms and positively impacting hundreds of Indigenous students each year.
Increasing the number of Indigenous teachers is an absolutely critical step in the pursuit of reconciliation in Canada. This is especially true in northern and rural communities that have large Indigenous populations and school systems that have few Indigenous teachers and difficulties staffing any teaching position.
– Dr. Dustin Louie – NITEP Director – Associate Professor – Nee Tahi Buhn Band Member.
About the Indigenous Teacher Education Initiative
The Rideau Hall Foundation launched the Indigenous Teacher Education (ITE) Initiative to grow and support a representative, culturally rooted Indigenous education workforce. Through a national Open Call, projects were selected through a rigorous peer-review process led by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis education experts.
Two funding streams—Reinforce and Retain—respond to urgent priorities in Indigenous teacher education, from scaling successful training programs to improving teacher retention and support. NITEP’s project was selected under the Reinforce Stream, which provides funding of up to $1 million for long-term, Indigenous-led expansion of teacher education across Canada—ensuring that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis educators can access, complete, and thrive in their pathways to teaching.
Learn More
Explore how Indigenous communities across the country are leading education transformation.
This is just one of many regions taking bold steps. Read more about other ITE grant recipients.
Explore NITEP Story maps: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5e2c48cb0d804be8bf3d317a1bbc4b56