Silver anniversary welcomes educators from across the province
Faculty of Education Director Susan Crichton
It’s something worth celebrating. Twenty five years ago, a teacher education program opened its doors at Okanagan College. And this summer, the Faculty of Education, at UBC’s Okanagan campus, celebrates 25 years of providing teacher education in the Okanagan.
Since its inception in 1989, when the Faculty of Education (FOE) opened – offering a bachelor of education degree – the school has undergone numerous changes. The program grew and established itself at Okanagan University College, and evolved again to its current identity at UBC’s Okanagan campus.
Over that time, it has provided teacher education to more than 1,900 educators, offering secondary and elementary teacher education programs, post-baccalaureate programming, and graduate programs.
“The Faculty of Education has adapted to the needs of the Okanagan for the last 25 years,” says Faculty of Education (FOE) Director Susan Crichton. “Our graduates are professional educators with a versatile skill set to enter all industries.”
As it continues to grow, the FOE recently opened two research centres, the Innovative Learning Centre and the Centre for Mindful Engagement, demonstrating its maturation as a faculty grounded in research excellence.
The faculty will celebrate this silver anniversary at its upcoming alumni event July 25 and 26 with inaugural Excellence in Teaching Award presented at the evening gala on Saturday, July 26.
The two-day event will take place during the faculty’s eighth annual Summer Institute in Education, a summer offering that welcomes educators from around the province. The interactive courses include a weekly speaker series open to the public.
Meanwhile, the search is on for Faculty of Education alumni from Okanagan College and Okanagan University College. UBC Okanagan has more than 8,000 alumni in this region, many of them having graduated from the Faculty of Education. UBC’s Alumni association offers many benefits for keeping in touch, and people are encouraged to contact Alumni Relations at okanagan.alumni.relations@ubc.ca or Allyssa Costerton-Grant at allyssa.costerton-grant@ubc.ca.
As part of the silver anniversary celebration, the faculty is sharing its rich and varied history with its alumni and the Okanagan. The faculty is now posting mementos from the past 25 years to its Facebook page at facebook.com/UBCedO.
For more information on the 25th anniversary visit: education.ok.ubc.ca/about/alumni/25th_Anniversary
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