- Our Alpha and Omega Events in the NW BEd program
Aim: to provide symmetric anchor experiences that enable student teachers to effectively connect their training to the physical, cultural, environmental and historical aspects of place.
Requirements: A location in a relatively unspoiled natural environment – a place that holds cultural and spiritual significance in the views of the local indigenous populations, a natural place that has not yet been bulldozed or paved over. NOTE: Such a place may be hard to find in the average community but the effort is well worth it in our experience.
Procedure: On the first day of the program, cohort and faculty meet in the specified place, form a talking circle and share their experiences, feelings, aspirations and hopes. This is repeated after two years on the last day of the program. Connections to the place and to its history, to the history of the people of the land and to all life forms around us are emphasized on both occasions.