Indigenous Education Professional
Learning Community
Reconnecting Learning to Land, Story, and Season
Canadian Schools | March – May 2026
A 3-month collaborative journey for K-12 educators to build understanding, strengthen connection, and teach in rhythm with the land. Where every session leads to practical takeaways and immediately impactful learning for your students.
Led by an Indigenous facilitator with decades of experience working with K-12 staff and students
Co-Hosted by Canadian educators & administrators
Practical, curriculum-connected approaches — not performative activities
Ongoing, collaborative learning, with year-long access to the learning community and resources
Ideal for grade-level and department teams to build shared capacity
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Hear from our past particpants!
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“Seeing what other schools/teachers/coordinators are doing in this area is invaluable. We are all facing these new opportunities and challenges in real-time. It's not a one-size-fits-all, but it's important to keep engaging and adjusting.”
Lucas Tompkins
Teacher & Coordinator of Learning Technology, Greenwood College -
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“Collaboration allows us to bring our unique strengths and capacities to the the table, providing a richer, more diverse pool of knowledge for everyone to glean from. Collectively, we have a greater chance of staying up to date with the break neck pace of how things are changing!”
Stephanie Stephens
Director of Learning Innovation and Technology, HTS -
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"As a part of this cohort, I have benefitted by hearing how others are grappling with the whole AI thing has opened my eyes to other aspects of this issue. Some things I didn't really consider as I tend to get lost in the big picture and lose sight of how you can pick off smaller aspects of that issue as well, thus making it more manageable for everyone."
Ian Johnston
Senior School Tech Teacher, Pickering College -
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“Collaborating while on my AI journey is important to me because I am evolving in my career along side the evolution of AI resources and tools. Learning from my peers with similar interests is key for mutual growth as it provides greater perspective and insight into what it means to be an educator in the digital era.”
Anna Spotta
French Teacher, Greenwood -
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“Nobody learns deeply on their own!”
Andrew Moore
English Teacher, Bayview Glen -
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“Collaboration is important to me because AI can do a lot, but it can’t replace the ideas, creativity, and encouragement that come from working with other people.”
Barry Panas
Science Teacher
St. John’s Ravenscourt -
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“Working together with other educators puts an emphasis on critical thinking skills so that we can all start to understand the issues and opportunities in the quickly changing world of AI.”
Grace Sheppard
Teacher-Librarian
St. John’s Ravenscourt
Program Structure
3 live sessions (1x/month). Recordings will be shared.
Session 1 (March): Indigenous Ways of Knowing — All K-12 educators together to build shared understanding of Indigenous education, history, and multiple ways of knowing
Session 2 (April): Division-Specific Workshops — Educators split into K-3, 4-8, or 9-12 cohorts to explore practical, classroom-ready storytelling and seasonal knowledge activities for their grade level
Session 3 (May): Implementation & Reflection — Cohorts reunite to share what they tried, reflect on experiences, and receive feedback from the Indigenous Educator and peers
Asynchronous learning and collaboration on CoLab - an easy-to-use platform for resource sharing, group discussions, and networking
Small group, 1-on-1, and large group collaboration to explore key concepts
Structured time for cross-school and within-school collaboration—our participants' most valued feature
Three Foundational Frameworks
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Indigenous Ways of Knowing
Learn that there are multiple ways of understanding the world. Explore how Indigenous ways of knowing differ from—and complement—Western approaches, with a focus on respect, acknowledgment, reciprocity, truth and reconciliation. -
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Cultural Identity & Storytelling
Discover the role of storytelling as a way of teaching, learning, and passing down knowledge. Learn how stories support identity, belonging, and connection—and how to implement storytelling in age-appropriate ways across subject areas. -
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Seasonal Knowledge Keeping
Learn how Indigenous knowledge is deeply tied to the land and the seasons. Explore practical ways to align classroom learning with seasonal rhythms, helping students build awareness and connection to the natural world around them.
Expert Facilitation Team
Jennie Lyn -Town |
Indigenous Education Lead | PM, Redbird Circle Inc.
Jennie's maternal heritage is Mi'kmaq and Black, with roots in the Shubenacadie and Bear River reserves in Nova Scotia. As Project Manager of Indigenous Land-Based Education at Redbird Circle Inc., she brings over 45 years of experience supporting Indigenous children, youth, and families. She creates land-based and creative learning experiences grounded in mindfulness and Indigenous ways of knowing, as committed to supporting educators in decolonizing learning spaces.
Ritu Jhaveri | Program Design | CEO, Deeschool
From crafting exciting STEM programs for students and staff, to teaming up with top-notch experts, Ritu shapes the way we learn. With over 12 years as a school administrator, educator, and curriculum specialist across Dubai, Singapore, India, and Canada, she's a true education explorer. She’s worked with public and independent schools across Ontario to make STEM learning impactful and integrated into the curriculum.
Ariella Racco | Community Leadership | CEO, CoLab Education
From designing intuitive tech to cultivating thriving educator communities, Ariella makes meaningful collaboration feel effortless. With over a decade teaching in public, independent in international schools across Canada and Spain, she deeply understands what educators need to connect, learn from each other, and never have to reinvent the wheel alone!
Educators at any stage of their Indigenous education journey - Current or pre-service K-12 educators across Canada (public, independent, private)
We recommend joining with several staff members per school to build internal capacity and establish shared language.
Grade-level and department teams has found great success joining our PLCs together for dedicated collaboration time and action plans.
Who Can Participate?
The Opportunity
✺ 3-Month Indigenous Education Progression: Personal practice → context integration → peer collaboration → leading school change
✺ Year-Round CoLab Platform Access: Ongoing resource sharing and professional networking with CIS Ontario educators
✺ Expert Support: Curated content, research, facilitation guides, and coaching with Indigenous education specialists
✺ Ready-to-Use Resources: Practical, educator-ready materials for immediate school application
✺ Division-Specific Workshops: (K-3, 4-8, 9-12)
✺ Certificates of Completion: Valid for professional development hours
Investment: $552 per participant
Group rates and early bird discounts available for those who register before February 13, 2026.
