About us
Gakino’amaage: Teach For Canada is a non-profit organization that works with northern First Nations to recruit, prepare, and support committed teachers.
Our Vision
Every child has access to high-quality education in their community.
Our Values
Humility, respect, collaboration, integrity, and learning represent our desire for collaboration and partnership with First Nations and educators.
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.
OUR APPROACH
We work with northern First Nations to recruit, prepare, and support committed teachers who will increase student outcomes in the North. This model has been defined by First Nations community partners, our Circle of Advisors, our Board of Directors, and experienced northern educators.
THE RIGHT KIND OF TEACHERS
The right kind of teacher can help fill this gap. We work 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, we provide teachers with a 2 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, Gakino’amaage: Teach For Canada teachers emphasize a spirit of reciprocal learning in the classroom and community.
Currently, there are 89 Gakino'amaage: Teach For Canada educators working in 28 partner First Nations in Northern Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan. These educators 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 approach to teaching and leadership is increasing student attendance, student engagement, and student achievement.