Congratulations to Starleigh Grass

Alumna and current master’s student Starleigh Grass receives the 2011 BC Aboriginal Student Award

A self-described “teacher, blogger, and mother” from the Tsilhqot’in Nation received the 2011 BC Aboriginal Student Award  from The Irving K. Barber British Columbia Scholarship Society, in partnership with the Victoria Foundation.

The recipient, Starleigh Grass, is currently on leave from her career — teaching in secondary schools — to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Education, specializing in Teaching and Learning at UBC’s Okanagan campus. Using case studies, Starleigh’s research will examine successful practices in aboriginal post-secondary institutions. Her goal is to increase her capacity to support teachers who want to integrate aboriginal curriculum and pedagogy into their classroom practice.

Starting her master’s journey in the Fall 2011 intake with supervisor Dr. Leyton Schnellert, Starleigh plans to complete her course work by January 2013.

After graduating from the Secondary Teachers’ Education Program (STEP), Starleigh relocated to Lytton, then Lillooet, where she taught English, social studies and science to students in Grades 8 to 12.

Provincially, she was part of the curriculum development team for English First Peoples 10/11 and has been involved in the implementation of English First Peoples 12.

Starleigh parents a 12-year-old boy and confesses to being a “social media junkie.” Through her blog, Twinkle’s Happy Place, she connects Canadian teachers to research and resources, while collecting donations towards buying her textbooks and travel expenses for conferences.

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