KEESEEKOOSE FIRST NATION — A growing number of teachers at a First Nation school north of Yorkton are graduates of a Saskatchewan-based Indigenous education program, highlighting what educators say is the long-term impact of training teachers close to home.
Suncrest College says eight staff members at Keeseekoose Chiefs Education Complex (KCEC), a kindergarten to Grade 12 school serving more than 200 students, have completed its Bachelor of Indigenous Education program, offered in partnership with First Nations University of Canada.
College officials say the graduates are now contributing directly to their community, teaching in classrooms where they often have existing cultural and personal ties.
“Seeing our graduates remain in their home communities after completing their education is exactly why we exist,” said Teri Thompson, Suncrest College’s vice-president of academics. “Our goal is to strengthen communities by ensuring they have skilled and educated individuals who are ready to give back to the next generation.”
The program itself has been in place for about a decade, according to Shanley Allard, Suncrest College’s manager of post-secondary education.
“We’ve had a partnership with First Nations University of Canada for about 10 years,” Allard said, noting the program began with its first cohort around 2018 and has continued to expand since then.
The degree program is designed to prepare future educators to work in schools across the province, with a focus on culturally relevant teaching and hands-on experience. Students complete practical placements, often within their home regions, giving them direct exposure to community-based education environments.
At KCEC, principal Sara Ann Keshane said having access to that type of training within reach has made a significant difference in recruitment and retention.
“Having a program like this within reach allows our future teachers to pursue higher education without leaving their support networks,” Keshane said. “It also ensures we are able to staff our school with highly trained individuals who are already connected to our school community.”
Allard said demand for the program has grown in recent years, prompting the college to move from alternating intakes to annual enrolment.
“The last couple years we have seen a demand for an education program, so we are offering an intake every year,” she said. “Those numbers have been increasing.” The program is delivered locally through
Suncrest College campuses, including Yorkton, allow students to complete a university degree without leaving their communities. In some cases, students in northern areas can also join lectures remotely or through partner campuses.
That local approach, Allard said, is key not only to accessibility but also to long-term retention of teachers in rural and First Nations schools.
“It’s a distributed program, so students can take it close to home,” she said. “That helps build those connections to community, especially when they’re doing placements in the region.”
The program is open to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, with cultural learning embedded throughout.
“They have to participate in cultural components that provide valuable connections to the land and to local communities,” Allard said. “But it’s open to everybody.”
Suncrest College, which operates campuses in several Saskatchewan communities, offers a range of programs from trades training to university degrees. The institution says its Indigenous education program is aimed at supporting stronger outcomes for Indigenous learners by preparing teachers who understand the cultural and social context of the communities they serve.
Applications for the next intake of the Bachelor of Indigenous Education program are now open for fall 2026, with the current agreement in place through 2028 as the partnership continues to evolve.
