Forging local and international connections

Class of 2024 Lleyton Bates’ goal was to complete his entire bachelor of education (BEd) without straying too far from his home in Vermilion. And he accomplished it – other than a few weeks spent on campus at the University of Calgary (UCalgary) and a memorable two months on practicum in Australia.

Bates was one of the first students to take advantage of a community-based transfer agreement between Lakeland College and UCalgary’s Werklund School of Education. The agreement gives university transfer (UT) students the opportunity to complete their BEd in a blended format which is mostly done online. Students spend two weeks each summer on campus.

“I was one of the first Lakeland (students) to try the transfer program with the University of Calgary,”
Bates says. “I wanted to get my BEd no matter what, but this allowed me to stay in the community while also making connections with other students around Alberta and B.C. I was able to stay local and do my practicums locally as well, which is a huge asset. It helps students form professional relationships with the schools in the areas they want to work.”

Though Bates started off pretty firm in his goal to complete his education close to home, a particular program offered through UCalgary caught his attention. Teaching Across Borders allows students to spend two months on practicum across the globe – including Australia.

Bates credits his experiences in Lakeland’s UT program with helping expand his horizons enough to make the idea of traveling halfway around the world for practicum something he was brave enough to do. He went on a teaching trip to Mexico in 2023 with other UT students and recent graduates.

“The experience was incredible. Being able to go to another country and experience their education system is a great opportunity to see how different and similar things could be,” Bates says
When he saw that Teaching Across Borders had an option to complete a practicum in Australia, he knew he had to do it.

“Starting at Lakeland, being around different people and experiencing people differently definitely broadened my horizons,” he says. “There are different people out there other than the ones here in Vermilion – a whole wide world to explore. I’ve never experienced anything like that, except going on small family trips. It was beneficial to start with university transfer because then I was able to say, “Okay. I did this. What else can I do?” Lakeland was that first step.

“Australia was always one of the countries on my wish list where I wanted to go and it was the perfect opportunity,” he adds. “It’s cliché to say, but the experience in Australia was a once in a lifetime one. I got to go over there and experience everything Australia has to offer in the perfect amount of time. I got to experience so much but it also leaves me wanting to go back and experience even more.”

While he was in Australia, Bates spent time in classrooms learning about different teaching styles and cultures. He learned about Indigenous culture in Australia and different classroom management techniques.

He also spent time snorkeling in shipwrecks, skydiving on the Sunshine Coast and visiting as many animal sanctuaries as he could – including the Steve Irwin Zoo. He flew across the country to Melbourne to watch the Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings in the first two National Hockey League games ever played in Australia.

“I tried to make the most of it because you never know if you’ll ever be back,” he says. “I highly recommend the university transfer program and then finishing your education degree through University of Calgary,” he says. “With local practicums, it’s made for students in rural places.”