West Kootenay Teacher Education Program

The UBC West Kootenay Teacher Education Program (WKTEP) has been preparing K-12 teachers for the West Kootenay region and beyond for nearly 25 years, in partnership with four area school districts. We are presently located in Castlegar, BC.Since 2008, we have focused coursework and field experiences on rural teacher education, and the important connections between small and rural schools and the communities they nest in. Two teachers, seconded from local schools, act as coordinators, instructors and advisors to about twenty-five Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) students each year. Along with several practicing teachers from the Districts, UBC visiting professors, and volunteer community members, our teacher candidates inquire into economic and social aspects of rurality and engage in environmental and cultural projects, civic activities, outdoor education experiences, and more.Our goal is to cultivate place-consciousness in students that will become an integral part of their teaching practices, wherever their classrooms may be. Our graduates have become educational leaders across BC, Canada’s North, and overseas.