TORONTO — A campaign is underway to recruit committed Canadian educators to teach in remote and Indigenous communities. Led by Teach For Canada, the first-of-its-kind national recruitment campaign is part of a long-term strategy to help schools recruit, prepare, and retain top teaching talent.
“Too many educators are discouraged from teaching in remote and Indigenous communities,” said Brendan Yorke, Director of Teacher Recruitment for Teach For Canada. “We’re working with communities to change that perception. Our national recruitment campaign will help our community partners identify promising teachers, bring them to their schools, and help them succeed there.”
Teach For Canada’s national recruitment campaign will feature information sessions and targeted recruitment efforts at faculties of education across the country. Successful applicants will be matched with a Teach For Canada partner school in northern Ontario and take part in a four-week preparation and professional development forum in the summer of 2015. They will begin their teaching service in September. Candidates for the program must have earned a teaching qualification by the time they begin teaching.
“Teach For Canada’s professional development and ongoing support programs will give teachers the tools they need to succeed and stay in northern classrooms,” said Eric Bortlis, Teach For Canada’s Director of Teacher Development. “I spent nearly three years as an educator and school leader in a remote community. I’ve seen the difference that a lasting relationship with a teacher can have in the life of a student. Teach For Canada’s combination of targeted teacher recruitment, pre-service preparation, and ongoing support will help both teachers and students succeed.”
“Addressing the twin challenges of teacher recruitment and retention is a crucial step to ensuring that a child’s education does not depend on her postal code,” added Kyle Hill, Executive Director of Teach For Canada. “Together, we can make education more equal.”
Applications are now open at www.teachforcanada.ca/apply. The deadline is March 15.
