Sydney – Cape Breton University officially launched the Bachelor of Education degree program in Indian Brook First Nation on Friday, September 5, 2014. The initiative is a collaborative effort through Unama’ki College and the Department of Education.

“Cape Breton University has a long standing history of offering in-community programs to First Nations communities in Nova Scotia,” says Dr. Keith Brown, Vice-president of International and Aboriginal Affairs. “We’re thrilled to be offering the BEd program in the First Nation community of Indian Brook. This type of offering not only reinforces CBU’s commitment to First nation communities, but it allows important access to education, an opportunity that otherwise may not have been possible.”

The program will be made up of 20 students from several Nova Scotia First Nation’s community and will be tailored to meet the demand working professionals and in-community learning with a flexible schedule of evenings and weekends. The program will be supported technologically through the use of online learning platforms such as Moodle. The inclusion of the 20 in-community students within its Bachelor of Education program marks the first time CBU has blended students from multiple locations within a single cohort.

Cape Breton University will strengthen its own commitment to the Education program by providing full-time education faculty to this project. The first term will see 80 per cent of courses taught by full-time faculty members.

“Unama’ki College is very proud to be a part of this collaborative program,” says Stephen Augustine, Dean of Unama’ki College and Aboriginal learning. “By investing in programs of this kind we are directly investing in the future of First Nation communities and fortifying our support and faith in education.”

To learn more about the program please visit: http://www.cbu.ca/academics/education