Overview
MSMF has launched a fundraising campaign to support “Teach for Canada” with a funding goal of $5,000.
The campaign ends on 31 December 2020.
Link to the Fundraiser on CanadaHelps site
The Beneficiary – “Teach for Canada”
“Teach For Canada” (TFC) is a non-profit organization that supports student success by recruiting and developing committed educators in partnership with First Nations. TFC is a community-directed organization and work closely with First Nations partners to co-create TFC’s programs.
What does Teach for Canada do?
Recruit – TFC recruits teachers based on selection criteria designed by community leaders to ensure they have the skills to succeed in a northern context.
Prepare – Teachers participate in an intensive preparation program focused on First Nations histories, cultures, and culturally-responsive pedagogies.
Support – During their first two years in the North, teachers receive personal and professional support and a peer support network to help them thrive in the classroom and community
What’s New in 2020-2021?
In 2020-21, Teach For Canada is working with First Nations to help northern schools adapt in light of COVID-19. This will include extending professional development and retention supports to principals and local school staff.
By working with northern First Nations to recruit, prepare, and support committed teachers, TFC can begin to make education more equal.
The Challenge
Education in Canada is a success story. Study after study shows that our public schools are among the best in the world. But high overall quality masks deep inequality. Only 48 percent of First Nations youth living on reserve have a high school diploma. In the North, those numbers are even lower. And, too often, teachers arrive in northern First Nations without the preparation and support they need to succeed—and stay—in the classroom. The twin challenges of teacher supply and turnover compound historical injustice and systemic inequities to produce a statistical education gap between First Nations and non-First Nations communities.
The Right Kind of Teachers
The right kind of teacher can help fill this gap. TFC works with First Nations education leaders, principals, teachers, and many others to recruit and select teachers who have the motivations, aptitude, and fit to be successful in a northern First Nation. Once selected, TFC provides teachers with a 2-3 week community-focused summer preparation program and provide ongoing support during a teacher’s minimum two-year teaching commitment in the North. Inspired by the leadership of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action on Education, TFC teachers emphasize a spirit of reciprocal learning in the classroom and community.
Currently, there are 84 TFC teachers and 20 partner First Nations in Northern Ontario and Manitoba. Teachers have launched student councils, coached sports teams, started music programs, led dance classes, developed school websites, hosted radio shows, organized field trips, run outdoor activities, and more. Their inspirational teaching is increasing student attendance, student engagement, and student achievement.
Current Impact
- 110 Teach for Canada teachers.
- 20 Northern First Nations.
- 2000+ First Nations children and youth.
Please donate and thank you for your generosity!