New bursary to attract teachers to northern Alberta communities
Edmonton... The new Northern Student Teacher Bursary, available this coming September, will provide financial support for post-secondary students who are interested in teaching in northern Alberta communities.
"It is critical to the success of students that teachers in rural and northern communities connect with the community,” said Education Minister Dave Hancock. “Teachers who have grown up in the community are role models and mentors who demonstrate success and inspire young people to believe they too can succeed.”
The Alberta government is working with the Northern Alberta Development Council (NADC) to sponsor the $800,000 bursary program. To qualify, students must be in their last two years of teacher preparation studies. Students who receive two years of bursary funding must, upon graduation, teach in one of Alberta’s northern school jurisdictions for three years.
“The Northern Alberta Development Council is very excited to be working on the Northern Student Teacher Bursary,” said Robin Campbell, chair of the council and MLA for West Yellowhead. “This new initiative helps address the priorities raised by Challenge North 2009 Conference participants to increase training, recruitment, and retention of teachers in the north. Education is a key concern of the council.”
Applications must be submitted to the NADC by September 30, and bursaries will be disbursed to successful applicants by December 15. For more information about the Northern Student Teacher Bursary, visit Alberta Education’s website at www.education.alberta.ca, click on ‘Administrators’ and then ‘Education Sector Workforce Planning’. For additional information, visit the NADC’s bursaries website at www.benorth.ca.
