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TuesdayMarch320159EDUCATIONPOST-SECONDARYAuroraCollegeinvestigatestwo-yearteachingdegreeByMEAGANWOHLBERGUniversitygraduateslookingforanaccel-eratedpathtobecomingteachersintheNWTcouldonedayseetheirwishesgrantedwithstaffatAuroraCollegeinvestigatingthede-mandforinterestinapost-degreeBachelorofEducationB.Ed.program.Asoflastweekthecollegeisnowinthepro-cessofgatheringfeedbackonatwo-yearteach-ingdegreeforindividualswhoalreadypossessanundergraduatedegreefromauniversity.DavePorterchairofthecollegesschoolofeducationsaidsimilartwo-yearprogramsareofferedinalmosteveryjurisdictioninCan-adaandhasbeenidentiedbygroupsandindividualsintheterritoryasbeinganeed.Currentlythecollegeoffersafour-yearB.Ed.attheThebachacampusinFortSmithbutPorternotedtherearemanypotentialstudentsinYellowknifeandfromaroundtheterritorylookingtofurthertheireducationortransitionintoanewcareer.Werejustlookingatdifferentwaystode-liverourprogramsPortersaid.Werelook-ingtoprovidepeoplewhomighthavegoalsofbecomingateachermaybealreadyhavesomeeducationbehindthemtheopportunitytodosoinamoretimelyfashion.PortersaidaregularB.Ed.degreetypicallyincludesbothanacademicandapracticalcom-ponent.Atwo-yearpost-degreeB.Ed.wouldallowstudentswithanexistingundergraduatedegreetogetthepracticalexperiencetheyneedwithouthavingtoretaketheapproximately60creditunitsofartsandscienceclassesthatcomprisetheacademicside.ThecompletionofapriordegreemayallowyoutohavealreadyachievedthoseacademiccoursesthatmakeupyourmajorthatmakeupyourminorthatcoveroffsomeofthemoregeneralcoursesthatwouldberequiredlikeanEnglishamathascienceahealthorkinesiologycoursePortersaid.Peoplemayalreadyhavethoseacademicsbehindthemandjustneedtofocusontheprofessionalsidetheinternshipsandhowtoteachcourses.TheinvestigationbeganwithanopenhouseatYellowknifesNorthSlavecampusduringAu-roraCollegeWeekwherearound20membersofthepubliccameouttolearnmoreaskques-tionsandgivefeedback.Directin-personsurveyingontheprogramcontinuesinYellowknifewhileanonlinesurveyaimstogaugetheinterestofpeopleacrosstheterritoryandbeyondinapotentialprogram.OncealltheinputisreceivedPortersaidhewillbegoingoverthedatatoseewhatkindofprogramincludingitspotentiallocationthepublicisinterestedinseeing.Yellowknifeisbeingconsideredasapoten-tialhostfortheprogramshoulditbedevel-opedthoughnodecisionshavebeenmadePortersaid.Wecertainlywanttobeforward-thinkinginourprogramdeliveryandwerealwaysseek-ingnewwaystoexpandandmeettheneedsofNortherners.Thisisanopportunityforustogathertheirvoiceslistentowhattheyresay-ingandthentrytoberesponsivePortersaid.AnecdotallyPortersaidtheresponsehasbeenpositivethusfar.Peoplearedenitelyinterestedhesaid.Filloutthesurveyonlineathttpswww.surveymonkey.comsJSFFMW6forachancetowinaniPadmini.PhotocourtesyofAuroraCollegeMembersofAuroraCollegesschoolofeducationservestudentsbreakfastduringAuroraCollegeWeeklastmonth.FromleftinstructorLisaGosseB.Ed.programheadMikePicklesandschoolofeducationchairDavePorter.EDUCATIONPOST-SECONDARYDechintaUniversitydeclaredindemandunderfundedByDALICARMICHAELMembersoftheLegislativeAssemblyandstaffrunningtheonlyCanadianland-basedpost-secondaryouttareghtingtogetherforincreasedfundingtoprovidewideraccesstotheNorthssoleuniversityinstitution.ProponentsfortheincreasinglypopularDechintaBushUniversityCentreforRe-searchandLearningagreethattheinstituteisunderfundedforthedemanditreceivesandareaskingthattheschoolberecognizedbytheNWTEducationActtoamendtheissue.EducationMinisterJacksonLaffertysaidheisalong-timesupporterofDechintasworkhavingbeeninvolvedwiththeorganizationsinceitsinceptionin2009.Heindicatedhehadbeenexpectingtherequestforsometime.WearecurrentlyindiscussionswithDechintaandalsothepresidentofAuroraCollegeandtheUofAlbertahesaidvaguelyaddressingplanstoexpandfundingtotheschool.Thereisaproposalthatsbeendiscussedandwearemovingforwardonthat.Iwillbeupdatingthestandingcommitteeindueprocess.Laffertyalsosaidhewouldbelookingintofederalfundingopportunities.Whileappreciativeoftheeducationdepart-mentsincreasingnancialsupportfortheschooldeanDr.ErinFreeland-Ballantynesaystherehasbeenalotoftalkandlittleaction.Wevebeenhavingthesameconversa-tionwiththedepartmentofeducationforveyearsshesaid.Weneedtoseerealaction.TheUniversityofAlbertahasbeenbehindusforveyearsaccreditingusgiv-ingusin-kindservicesandtheyrewaitingfortheGNWTtotakearealstep.Theneedforthefundingisevidencedbythestatistics.Inthe2014-2015schoolyear97appliedtoDechintasprogrammingwithonly30openspaces.Fortheupcomingspringsemester34applicantshaveappliedfor10availablespots.Peoplefromalloverthecountryaretalkingaboutthisastheevidence-basedbestpracticeforland-basedpost-secondaryandwedonthavesignicantcoresupportfromourowngovern-mentFreeland-Ballantynesaid.Ithinkthatfeelsreallydisappointingtothestudentsthatwanttocomeespeciallymostofourstudentswhoarefromtheregionsandtheyrenotget-tingthatsupport.Werestilltalkingabouthowimportantitistogetaneducationbutthesup-portisntthere.Overthe2014-2015schoolyearDechintawasgiven480000totalfromthedepartmentsofEducationCultureandEmploymentECEMunicipalandCommunityAffairsMACAandEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesENR.Italsoreceivesfundingfromseveralfounda-tionsandprivatedonors.RepresentativesfromDechintanotethatonceitisrecognizedbytheEducationActitwillbeeligiblefor5millionincorefunding.Thiswouldallownotonlyfortheinclusionofmorestudentsbutalsoforthecreationof32part-timejobseightfull-timejobsand115seasonaljobsoutsideofYellowknife.Withcorefundingwewouldhireco-ordinatorsinsideeverysinglecommunityoutsideYellowknifeFreeland-Ballantynesaid.Thatcommunitycoordinatorwouldworkwithafull-timeregionalcoordina-tor-andwithalloftheseasonaleldersandleadersandprofessors-tostartorganizingwiththesupportofouruniversitypartnersandindigenousfacultysemestersinalltheregions.Whatitwouldreallymeanisalotofbootsonthegrounddevelopingandrunningprogrammingtogetstudentsoutonthelandandtostartmovingpeoplethroughearningtheirdegreesinrelevantcourses.WithcorefundingDechintaexpectsthenumberofAboriginaldegreeholderscouldincreasebyvepercentoverthenextfouryears.StillFreeland-Ballantynesaidthatsnotenoughtolltheever-increasingnum-berofjobsthatrequireauniversitydegree.IfwedontwanttobellingNorthernjobswithpeoplefromOntariothathavedegreesweneedtotrainourpeoplewitharelevantdegreewhenwehavethatcapacityintheNorthnowshesaid.DechintascoursesaccreditedbytheUni-versityofAlbertaandMcGillUniversityaredesignedtoaddressuniquelyNorthernissuesasidentiedbypeoplelivingabovethe60thparallel.TheinterdisciplinarytopicscoveredinadditiontotraditionalAboriginalon-the-landpracticesincludegovernancelawhealthre-searchpolicysustainableeconomicdevelop-mentwritingandcommunications.AsofnowDechintaoffersprofessionaldevelopmentcoursesandaminordegreeinIndigenousStudieswhichisintheprocessofbeingexpandedtoafulldegree.Start-ingthissummeritwillalsoprovideanon-the-landmasterslevelcourseforeducatorsdeliveringNorthernStudiesprogramming.Theuniversityboastsazeropercentdrop-outrateover250completedcourses.Ofitsgraduates49percenthavepursuedfurtherpost-secondaryeducation57percentareemployedand97percenthaveremainedaspartoftheNWTlabourforce.ItsanopportunityfortheNorthtoleadandtodosomethingthattherestofthecoun-tryiswatchingFreeland-Ballantynesaid.PhotoMeaganWohlbergStudentsRebeccaGrooms19ofYellowknifeforegroundandKiraAnderson21ofB.C.practiceshootingduringtherearmscerticationportionofDechintasfallsemester.Theprogramteachespracticalon-the-landskillsandclassesinpoliticslawgovernanceenvironmenteconomicdevelopmentwritingandcommunications.