Indigenous Education
Professional Learning Community
Reconnecting Learning to Land, Story, and Season
Canadian Schools | March – May 2026
Do you struggle with trying to authentically infuse Indigenous perspectives in your classroom? Do you want your students to be more connected to the land? Do you want to learn from a seasoned Indigenous educator?
Join our 3-month collaborative journey for K-12 educators to build understanding, strengthen connection, and teach in rhythm with the land — through experiential learning rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing. With a focus on seasonal teaching and land-based learning, every session leads to practical takeaways and immediately impactful learning for your students.
Led by Jennie Town, 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
Brought to you by
Powered by
Hear from Jennie Town’s past participants!
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
-
🌏
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. -
📖
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. -
🍂
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 Team
Jennie 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, and committed to supporting educators in decolonizing learning spaces.
Ritu Jhaveri | Program Lead | CEO, Deschool
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.
Rebeka Ly | Program Lead | Director of Education at Deschool
Rebeka is a heart-led educator, Toronto District School Board teacher, and Director of Education at Deschool. She holds a Master of Teaching from the University of Toronto, and her conversations with Indigenous educators during that time continues to inform her practice through ongoing reflection and learning. As a co-creator of this course, Rebeka brings the perspective of a settler educator committed to listening, learning, and walking alongside Indigenous voices to support respectful, relationship-based teaching.
Ariella Racco | Community Lead | 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
Reach out to our team for details on pricing. Group rates and early bird discounts available for those who register before February 28, 2026.
