Alberta Education is awarding $42,000 to support public school teachers in building international language skills they can bring back to their classrooms.
This year, bursaries of $4,200 have been awarded to 10 teachers. This money will support teachers participating in language and culture programs in Spain, France, Ecuador, Brazil and Mexico.
Alberta’s International Language Teacher Bursary is awarded annually to teachers who want to develop their skills by taking a language, culture or teaching summer course outside of Canada.
“Learning a new language opens doors to new experiences and opportunities for Alberta students and is a rewarding part of any student’s educational journey,” said Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education.
“This money is helping teachers develop their language skills and cultural knowledge which will translate directly into tremendously rewarding learning experiences for Alberta students.”
This year’s recipients are employed by school boards across the province, including the Calgary Board of Education, Elk Island Public, Lethbridge School Division, Edmonton Public Schools and Red Deer Public Schools.
Established in 2003 by the Alberta government, the bursary is funded through the Alberta Heritage Scholarship Fund.
An Alberta Education committee chooses the successful applicants based on defined requirements, including a statement of intent from the applicant about how the summer course will help them improve their language instruction skills.
But that isn’t the only bursary available to Alberta educators.
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Alberta Education offers a First Nations, Métis and Inuit Languages Teacher Bursary, which awards bursaries of up to $4,200 and has its own application and selection processes.
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Certificated French language educators within Alberta can apply for up to $4,000 through the Individual Teacher Bursary to receive funding for eligible courses and professional development within Canada.
These funding opportunities help teachers make language learning more accessible for their students.
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