What does the term “cohort ” mean? And how does it apply to MFNERC’s new RISE program?
MFNERC’s Training Institute uses the term “cohort” a lot; and, simply put, it means a group of individuals who have something in common. Regarding the cohorts we help facilitate, it means a group of students moving through a program together. And that brings us to a very exciting initiative recently launched in Winnipeg: the RISE cohort, in partnership with the University of Manitoba.
RISE stands for Resource Inclusive Special Education and, at the beginning of November, 70 First Nations elementary, middle and high school teachers from every corner of the province gathered in Winnipeg to receive orientation on the program. These teachers/students will go on to complete 30 hours of course work throughout the year and, once completed, they will have earned a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Education. Their focus is inclusive special education. It is a huge milestone for all involved, specifically because all the teachers who are taking part are First Nations and one of the fundamental goals is that they will take the knowledge back to their communities and help build inclusive classrooms, programs and activities with a First Nations focus.
During the orientation, teachers were given an overview of courses and academic expectations, and participated in academic writing, academic integrity and library workshops. They also learned about the supports available to them through the U of M and MFNERC, supports that are much needed as these students will also be balancing their jobs as teachers, and family life.
The RISE cohort is one of the largest MFNERC has helped facilitate, and we are very excited for the students and their work to come. Please keep an eye out for our next newsletter, where we will introduce some of the participants and update their progress.
View photos of the RISE orientation.
