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Professional Linking Program
PEACE REGION COHORT
Get certified as a teacher in B.C. without leaving the Peace Region and while continuing to work in your paraprofessional role. The flexible Professional Linking Program - Peace Region enables student support workers, education assistants, counselors and other working paraprofessionals to switch to a teaching career.
The only distinction between PLP (Lower Mainland) and PLP Peace Region (Northern BC) programs is their campus locations.
Location Info: The Peace River Regional District is a regional district in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. Its member municipalities are the cities of Fort St. John and Dawson Creek, the district municipalities of Tumbler Ridge, Chetwynd, Taylor, and Hudson's Hope, and the village of Pouce Coupe.
Next start date: September 2027 (subject to approval and enrolment)
Method of delivery: Blended
Estimated Total Tuition: $13,000
Location: Peace River Regional District
Application Deadlines
SFU Undergraduate Application period: October 1 to January 31PLP-PR Supplemental Application period: October 1 to February 8 at 4:00 PM (PCT)
This program is ideal for:
We designed the PLP to provide B.C. working paraprofessional, para-educators, and people working on letters of permission in schools the opportunity to obtain certification as K-12 teachers in B.C.
Applications are strengthened with evidence of working with children in person and/or engaging with curriculum.
Paraprofessionals and para-educators include:
- Applied Behaviour Analyst (ABA) Support Workers
- Child and Youth Care Workers
- Education Assistants
- Teachers working with letters of permissions
- Independent School Educators
- Indigenous Education or Support Workers
- Settlement Workers
- Speech Therapists
- Student Support Workers
Program Structure
- 16-month program consisting of 4 terms
- Blended classes are offered remotely and in-person at Northern Lights College
- Field experiences
- Teaching practicum
- Full-time course load in the summer
Intake Schedule
The Professional Linking Program - Peace Region accepts applications on an annual basis in the Fall term.
Next intake
- Fall 2027 (subject to approval)
Program Design
The PLP is unique in that it enables you to get certified as a teacher in B.C., while continuing to work in your current role in the classroom. The only exceptions are the 6-week school experience in the second term and the 10-week practicum in the final term.
If you enter the program with a first degree, you may be able to complete a Bachelor of Education (BEd) as a second degree without adding extra time or cost to the program.
The Professional Linking Program (PLP) has 10 program goals that you must satisfy in order to successfully complete your transition from student to teacher.
Graduates qualify for a B.C. Ministry of Education teaching certificate that enables you to teach K-12 in B.C. public schools.
TEACHER CERTIFICATION
Professional Teaching Certificate (Non-Expiring)
Upon completion of the PLP, a Professional Teaching Certificate is issued to PLP students who have completed a Bachelor's degree and all of the required prerequisite coursework.
Conditional Teaching Certificate (5-Year duration)
Upon completion of the PLP, a Conditional Teaching Certificate is issued to PLP students who are still working toward a degree but have completed the required minimum 90 units as well as all prerequisite courses. You must complete your Bachelor's degree within five years to continue teaching. Upon completion of a Bachelor’s degree, the TRB will issue a Professional Teaching Certificate.
The Professional Linking Program (PLP) has four terms structured to accommodate busy working schedules.
TERM 1 (FALL)
EDUC 402W-7: STUDIES OF EDUCATIONAL THEORY AND PRACTICE
Begin the study of the literature of education and examine educational issues. Campus-based seminars will introduce theory, concepts and methodologies relevant to teacher development. You may also attend curriculum workshops to become more familiar with a vast array of educational resources. During the first term, the goal is to make meaning of the vast and complex world of educational practice, and have this meaning informed by the extensive study of the literature and by thoughtful, reflective discourse.
EDUC 407-3: PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO: DEVELOPING A SOLID FOUNDATION
Students explore the use of first-person narratives and reflections on lived experiences. This course aims to develop a strong foundation of knowledge and understanding of the history of Indigenous Education, Inclusive Education and Anti-Racist/Anti-Oppression Education. EDUC 407 involves the beginnings of a Professional Growth Portfolio which highlights student learning and goals for future consideration.
TERM 2 (SPRING)
EDUC 403-14: STUDIES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING
Engage in school observation and practice teaching opportunities that build on the theoretical foundations explored in the first term. You will connect your previous knowledge and experience as a paraprofessional with seminar concepts and practicum activities. Develop dispositional capacities and engage in comparative studies of teaching/learning between students' current roles and their future roles as teachers. The course aims to enhance existing knowledge about pedagogical practices through reflective practice and community learning models and integrates this with the broader competencies of a teacher. Campus-based classes are held on weekends. There is also a six-week period of continuous practice teaching this term. It is your responsibility to arrange for time off from your employment to attend to the practice teaching requirement. You must be prepared to travel up to 90 kms to attend your school placement.
EDUC 408-3: PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO: BUILDING A FRAMEWORK FOR CURRENT PRACTICES
Includes explorations of current practices in school contexts in relation to Indigenous Education, Inclusive Education and Anti-Racist/Anti-Oppression Education. You will build upon the portfolio started in EDUC 407 to include new learnings and goals for future consideration in the context of curriculum and schools.
TERM 3 (SUMMER)
EDUC 404-15: PROFESSIONAL COURSEWORK
You must take a minimum of 15 units of upper-division Education courses to fulfill certification requirements. This typically includes 4 to 6 teaching-related professional courses.
Bachelor of Education (BEd) as a second degree: With careful course and minor selection, you can also complete a Bachelor of Education (BEd) as a second degree without adding any extra time or cost to the program. An Advisor will provide more information on this option during the second term of the program.
Full-time studies.
NOTE: If you are pursuing the secondary option, you will spend this term at SFU's Burnaby campus taking specialized methodology courses in your teachable subjects.
TERM 4 (FALL)
EDUC 405-15: TEACHING PRACTICUM
You will be assigned to a classroom for 10 weeks of student teaching experience. During this term, the school associate and faculty associate provide help and guidance, as well as make assessments of your growth toward the achievement of standards of professional competence. You must arrange with your districts for a full-time leave of absence for this entire practicum. You will be placed by the placement coordinator in local schools in the Peace Region. You must be prepared to travel up to 90 kms to attend your school placement.
Full-time teaching practicum.
EDUC 409-3: PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO: CAPSTONE PROJECT
Includes the collection of evidence of the integration of Indigenous Education, Inclusive Education and Anti-Racist/Anti-Oppression Education within the your practice during your certifying practicum. This evidence informs the Capstone Portfolio Project, which highlights learning and growth throughout the PLP and sets goals for the future, thus providing a bridge from the role of a student teacher to a beginning teacher.
SCHOOL PLACEMENTS
Students will receive in-school experience, working closely with a school associate to observe classrooms and to guide and assess the student teacher's growth and acheive professional competence. Placements take place throughout the the Peace Region. Students must be located in these regions for the practicum placement.
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Sunshine Willms from the Professional Linking Program (PLP).
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Evelyn Hunter from the Professional Linking Program (PLP).
Like our other teacher education programs, the PLP uses a unique staffing model that teams SFU's world-class researchers (faculty members) with highly-skilled seconded teachers (faculty associates) and practicing K-12 teachers (school associates) as teacher educators. Meet our Faculty Associates.
TUITION & COSTS
SFU Supplementary Fees
Simon Fraser University assesses the Student Services/Recreation-Athletics fee, the student activity fee and the U-Pass BC fee to all eligible students in each term of enrollment.
Financial Resources
Note: The Professional Linking Program is not eligible for student loan funding.
Questions? Contact pps_manager@sfu.ca.
Register for a Professional Linking Program (PLP) information session. Hosted by the Admissions team, you will learn about:
- The history and structure of the program
- The different program options
- The admission requirements, including prerequisites
- The application process and deadlines
If you have questions about the PLP in the Peace Region not covered on our website, contact our admissions team.
Email: pps_admissions@sfu.ca
To prevent missing emails from us, add pps_admissions@sfu.ca to your contact list if you are not using an SFU email account.
Phone: 778-782-3559
Virtual Hours
Get help with your application and connect with a member of the admissions team during our virtual drop-in hours: Monday and Wednesday from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. (PST).**
Meet on Zoom:
https://sfu.zoom.us/j/66007885834?pwd=ckVtTXVkVllsak9BU0FZd3hMUWE0dz09
Meeting ID: 660 0788 5834
Password: 833520
Regular Schedule: Monday and Wednesday, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. (PST)
**Regularly scheduled time slot subject to change or cancellation without notice