Manitoba Indigenous Teacher Education Partnership (MITEP)
Building a Homegrown Teaching Force in Northern Manitoba
University of Manitoba , in partnership with Frontier School Division | ITE Grant Recipient | $1,000,000 | Reinforce Stream
Region:
In Manitoba’s remote and rural regions, Indigenous students face a persistent challenge: too few teachers who reflect their cultures, communities, and lived experiences. With support from the Rideau Hall Foundation’s Indigenous Teacher Education (ITE) Initiative, the University of Manitoba and the Frontier School Division are delivering a bold, community-based solution: the Manitoba Indigenous Teacher Education Partnership (MITEP).
MITEP delivers a fully accredited community-based Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) program directly to 11 northern and rural Indigenous communities in Manitoba. Designed with and for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) learners, the program creates new pathways for aspiring educators, particularly those already supporting students as educational assistants, youth mentors, or Limited Teaching Permit holders, to earn their B.Ed. close to home while staying connected to their families, communities, and the land.
Key Features of MITEP: A Culturally Grounded, Community-Based B.Ed.
Community-Based Learning
100 FNMI teacher candidates across 11 communities will earn B.Ed. degrees over 10 years—without leaving home, work, or family.
Blended, High-Quality Delivery
Courses combine online and in-person instruction, co-taught by UM faculty and local educators. Teaching integrates FNMI knowledge, values, and traditions.
Land, Language & Culture
Participants gain tools to teach Indigenous languages and lead land-based education with support from Elders and community knowledge holders.
Supportive Structure
Monthly faculty visits, summer sessions with family housing, and dedicated mentorship create flexible, wraparound support.
Scalable and Sustainable
Modeled after proven programs, MITEP is designed for long-term impact and potential expansion across Manitoba and beyond.
Why It Matters: Representation, Belonging, and Success
When Indigenous students are taught by educators who share their identity and cultural knowledge, they experience greater belonging, academic engagement, and pride. MITEP graduates will directly impact more than 25,000 students across Manitoba, offering inclusive, affirming education that strengthens both academic outcomes and community connections.
And the impact won’t stop there. MITEP’s success will serve as a model for other jurisdictions, proving that community-based, culturally grounded teacher education can create long-term solutions to systemic inequities in education.
With this investment we can offer a community-based Bachelor of Education program that will include language, the support of Elders, and land-based learning. As Indigenous people, we understand the supports that come from being in our community and the need to be with our families and children as we learn.
~ Marti Ford, Associate Dean (Indigenous Education)
About the Indigenous Teacher Education Initiative
The Rideau Hall Foundation launched the Indigenous Teacher Education 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. This project is funded through the Reinforce Stream, which supports transformative, scalable Indigenous-led teacher education programs ready to grow and lead national change.
Learn More
Explore how Indigenous communities across the country are transforming education from the inside out.
This is just one of many regions taking bold steps. Read more about other ITE grant recipients.