THUNDER BAY – Have you ever wanted to make a huge difference in the lives of people across Northern Ontario? The opportunity is right here, right now!
Northern and Indigenous communities in Ontario will soon benefit from additional support for teacher recruitment, preparation and retention, Teach For Canada and the Government of Ontario announced today.
Teach For Canada is a non-profit organization that works with schools in remote communities to recruit, prepare, and retain committed teachers. Teach For Canada will recruit and select 40 teachers who will work in Northern Ontario schools. The project will:
- Cultivate a new generation of teacher-leaders with a passion for teaching in northern and Aboriginal communities;
- Develop Northern Ontario as a hub for rural teacher training;
- Create well-educated, highly-skilled and stable communities that are poised for economic growth.
Teach For Canada is a non-profit organization that works with communities to help teachers and students succeed in remote communities.
Ontario’s Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, David Zimmer, joined members of the Teach For Canada team to celebrate the new partnership. The Government of Ontario has committed $70K to support Teach For Canada’s teacher recruitment campaign.
“Recruiting and retaining qualified teachers is a challenge for many schools in Northern Ontario, especially those in Aboriginal communities. This project by Teach For Canada will help address that issue, as well as help students in northern and Aboriginal communities succeed in the classroom and beyond,” said David Zimmer, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs.
“A strong, prosperous Ontario includes vibrant, economically diverse rural communities. By providing economic development support at both the local and regional level, the Rural Economic Development program helps create jobs and strengthens rural communities across Ontario,” added Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
“This support will allow us to recruit and prepare teachers to be partners with northern communities, and will help every child reach her potential,” said Donna Ashamock, Teach For Canada’s Director of Community Engagement.
“With Ontario’s support, Teach For Canada will provide dozens of educators with four weeks of community-focused preparation before they begin teaching in a remote northern community,” added Eric Bortlis, Teacher For Canada’s Director of Teacher Development.
Teach For Canada’s teacher recruitment campaign is underway. Applications from certified teachers are open at www.teachforcanada.ca/apply. The deadline is March 15th.
