CBC News Covers 34 Cree Teacher Graduates from Community-Based Programs

On May 30th, 34 students from across Eeyou Istchee graduated from McGill, in the first program that allows northern Quebec Cree to learn from home to become teachers in their own community.

CBC News featured an article covering the first time the Cree School Board and McGill University offered programs that help students get their teaching licence from home.

"We got to be in our community with our families. We didn't have to sacrifice our time to go south and to get our degree," said Alice Gilpin, a graduate of the certificate in education in its First Nations and Inuit studies program.

Pursuing higher education in her home community gave her more support and less stress about the cost of uprooting her life to study in Montreal.

These teachers received training tailored to their cultural context, emphasizing language and cultural preservation. Their graduation highlights efforts to empower Indigenous communities through education.