The ATA’s International Cooperation Program is a partnership with the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF). Together, we work with teachers’ organizations around the world to make high-quality, inclusive public education available for all children. We’ve done this work since 1964, and we are proud to help bring hundreds of teachers together every year.
Volunteer travel opportunities for Alberta teachers
Canadian teachers volunteer their time in the summer to collaborate with teachers from all over the world, planning workshops, inservices and other initiatives with partner organizations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Here are some opportunities available for Alberta teachers.
Project Overseas
Each year, more than 50 Canadian teachers are chosen to volunteer in countries throughout Africa and the Caribbean through the CTF’s Project Overseas. Details on Project Overseas can be found on CTF's website.
Project Overseas inservice projects take place in July.
Selection
Participants are selected in two phases:
- In early December, the ATA reviews the applications received and forwards the most promising to the CTF.
- In January, the National Selection Committee chooses applicants by matching the requests of the overseas teachers’ organizations with the skills and qualifications of the recommended candidates. Successful candidates are notified shortly thereafter.
How to apply
Applications close on November 15 each year.
Fill out an application and forward completed forms to internationalcoop@ata.ab.ca.
Change for Children Teaching Tour
Change for Children (CFC) was founded in 1976 by a group of people in the Edmonton area who believed that concerned Albertans could make a positive impact in the fight against poverty and injustice, internationally and in their own communities.
CFC has implemented projects in Latin America and Africa in the areas of education, health, water, local governance, Indigenous rights and gender equality.
Each July, CFC sends approximately 10 Alberta teachers to Latin America (Nicaragua or Guatemala) for two weeks. This opportunity enables teachers to offer hands-on training and share knowledge while learning from Central American teachers and experiencing education in a variety of contexts.
How to apply
ATA Instructional Technology Project—IT for Dominica
Since 2003, IT for Dominica has helped teachers and students in the Commonwealth of Dominica gain access to computers, technical support, consulting and professional development.
Many of the island’s schools are now connected to an islandwide network, along with the equipment and the training required.
Each summer, Alberta teachers travel to Dominica for two to three weeks to provide professional development to local teachers in instructional technologies.
How to apply
Contact Maurice Hollingsworth at m.hollingsworth@alumni.uleth.ca.
Contact
ATA-sponsored projects
The ATA’s budget for regular international assistance and development is based on 1 per cent of the previous year’s operating budget. An additional $3,500 is available each year to help teachers in low-income countries who need immediate assistance following a natural or human-caused disaster.
Canadian Organization for Development Through Education (CODE)
The Canadian Organization for Development Through Education (CODE) is Canada’s leading international development agency focused on education and literacy. CODE has helped more than 10 million children access better quality education.
CODE’s work supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in particular goal 4—Quality Education.
Goals
- Advance the instructional skills of teachers
- Enhance the quality and availability of teaching and reading materials
- Empower women and girls
- Build institutional capacity to ensure sustainability
- Support research in education by African scholars and educators
Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan
Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan has nine volunteer chapters and more than 3,000 members across Canada.
Goals
- Support the empowerment of women and girls by promoting and protecting their human right to education
- Support Afghan teachers’ access to high-quality educational materials in their own language through the Darakht-e Danesh (“knowledge tree”) Library of free open educational resources, as well as other virtual and distance education initiatives that benefit students and teachers
CoDevelopment Canada
CoDevelopment Canada (CoDev) mobilizes Canadians to work with the people of Latin America by fostering partnerships between trade unions in Canada and their counterparts in Latin America.
The ATA supports CoDev’s Non-Sexist and Inclusive Pedagogy (NSIP) project, which partners with the Honduran Middle School Teachers’ College and the National Association of Salvadoran Educators.
Tools for Schools Africa Foundation: The Damongo Project
The Tools for Schools Africa Foundation is based in Red Deer and was founded by Central Alberta teachers in 2003. Its goal is to improve the quality of life in northern Ghana through enhanced educational opportunities and greater access to postprimary education.