Eastern Door Features Second Kahnawà:ke B.Ed. Cohort through OFNIE

The following is an excerpt of an article by Olivier Cadotte of the Eastern Door publication.

Second cohort coming for McGill partnership

This fall will mark the return of the four-year, 120-credit bachelor of education program, with classes being given right here in Kahnawake.

This will be the second cohort of students who will take part in the program to become certified teachers in the province, done in partnership between the Kahnawake Education Center (KEC) and McGill University’s Office of First Nations and Inuit Education (OFNIE).

The classes being given in Kahnawake and not at one of McGill’s campuses is important, as it keeps them accessible to community members, without having to deal with traffic or infrequent public transit to the city. The curriculum is done in partnership with the university, with courses planned to fit the needs and wants of the KEC for teaching in the community.

Michelle Kennedy, OFNIE’s interim co-director, said that each program is developed differently depending on where it will be taught - McGill partners with many communities in Quebec and Labrador, including Cree, Innu, and Inuit communities. “It’s a very unique process in that it’s tailored and catered to the needs of the community,” said Kennedy. Kennedy is expecting a cohort of 40-50 students in the fall, one of the largest in the more than five decades of OFNIE.

“We’re just really excited to see that and increase the number of teachers that are certified within that First Nation,” said Kennedy.

Potential applicants must first go through Douglas and the KEC, as they will apply with everyone whose application gets accepted after an internal review.