In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Report, the Faculty in collaboration with the Toronto District School Board Indigenous Education Centre offers admission to a special cohort of students who will complete the Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree with a focus on Indigenous worldviews. Waaban Indigenous Teacher Education will educate a new generation of teachers prepared to address the needs of First Nation, Métis and Inuit students, families and communities. Waaban will be grounded in Indigenous Knowledge and Pedagogy and will include teachings from Indigenous Elders, educators, and community leaders.
Program Highlights
Waaban is an Anishinabe (Ojibwa) word meaning it is tomorrow. It signifies commitment to a holistic program of teaching and learning that acknowledges the impacts of colonialism, and draws on the wisdom of ancestral teachings and contemporary leaders to put Indigenous futures into Indigenous hands. Waaban Indigenous Teacher Education will include attention to contemporary urban, rural and reserve perspectives and teachings from a diversity of nations. Students will be introduced to cultural and community resources and have opportunities to learn from and with Indigenous educators. Some features of the program are:
Community-centred
- Held in Toronto for a special cohort of teachers who will take most classes together. Students will work with faculty members, guest speakers and others from the community to gain knowledge, insight and skills for teaching and learning in Ontario schools
Practicum Placements
- Students participate in community practicum placements and school practicum placements in order to gain practical skills and experiences to qualify for the BEd degree.
- Students in the Waaban cohort will be placed in the following school boards:
- Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board
- Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board
- Peel District School Board
- Simcoe County District School Board
- Toronto District School Board
- Toronto Catholic School Board
- York Region District School Board
- York Catholic School Board
Condensed schedule
- Complete a full two-year degree in four consecutive semesters (16 months)
- Classes will take place in a continuous schedule of terms (Summer-Fall-Winter-Summer)
- Click here for a full list of required courses
Location
- Students will take courses at the Kapapamahchakwew – Wandering Spirit School of Toronto – 16 Phin Avenue accessible by TTC (Donlands subway station).
Focused curriculum
- Courses and experiences infused with a focus on Indigenous education.
- Note: Special elective courses will be available to students in this cohort.
- Graduates will be certified to teach in Ontario in one of the following teaching panels:
- Primary-Junior (JK to Grade 6)
- Junior-Intermediate (Grade 4 to Grade 10)
How to Apply
The next scheduled Waaban Indigenous cohort will be offered in the 2025/2026 academic year. Intake will open in Fall 2025, with accepted candidates beginning their program in Spring 2026.
Over the 2024/2025 academic year, Indigenous faculty, alongside our Indigenous community and educational partners, are engaging in a comprehensive community-grounded renewal of the Waaban program. This renewal aims to ensure that Waaban programming reflects evolving community needs and priorities. By pausing intake this year, we are committed to creating a program that attends to the needs of our future Indigenous teachers, while also addressing contemporary challenges and opportunities for urban Indigenous learners and their families.
Please note that admissions to the Waaban cohort takes place every other year.
Who can apply?
Individuals who match the following criteria may apply to the program:
- Indigenous Applicants – First Nation (Status or Non-Status), Métis or Inuit
- Indigenous applicants with a university degree may apply to become a qualified teacher in the province of Ontario in the Primary-Junior or Junior-Intermediate divisions.
- Indigenous applicants with a secondary school diploma only (i.e., without a university degree) can apply to become a qualified Primary-Junior teacher in the province of Ontario.
- Please note Indigenous candidates without a degree will be required to present proof of Indigenous ancestry to the Ontario College of Teachers when applying for teaching certification upon program completion.
- Non-Indigenous Applicants
- Non-Indigenous applicants must have demonstrated knowledge of Indigenous peoples’ languages, histories, cultures, experiences, and perspectives.
- Non-Indigenous applicants must have a university degree and may apply to become a qualified teacher in the province of Ontario in the Primary-Junior or Junior-Intermediate divisions.
- See Ontario College of Teachers for details on teacher certification requirements.
Applicants are also welcome to submit your email and/or phone and we will contact you directly.
