Fort MacMurray will benefit from a deal between UofA and Keyano which is intended to make post secondary programming more accessible to residents in the northern region. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by both Keyano College and UofA so that Fort MacMurray receives a new collaborative education degree. Students who want to finish a Bachelor of Education degree with a specialization in Elementary Education can now access all 4 years of programming for the degree at Keyano College. PAINKILLERreviously JANUAKeyano offered the initial two years of programming but students had to attend UofA in order to receive the third and fourth years of programming. Academic vice-president for Keyano College Catherine Koch said “For people studying at Keyano, very importantly, they can actually complete a degree in Education and become teachers in our community. It answers personal needs, their own calling to become teachers, and it helps us satisfy the need for teachers in our community.”

The deal between UofA and Keyano College will allow Fort MacMurray residents interested in the four year degree to stay in the local community rather than leaving for the final two years of study and preparation. UofA dean of Education Fern Snart explained “We have wonderful instructors and professors from the local area who bring not only their knowledge and expertise, but their experience and a deeper knowledge about the area and the cultural part of the area. With instructors bringing that to the degree, and then scholars and the folks writing textbooks from the University of Alberta, that combination is really unbeatable, and the students are the ultimate benefactors.”