📣 Call for applications to WestCAST 2027
Teacher candidates, do you have an idea about teaching and learning, want to connect with future educators from across Western Canada, and contribute to conversations about the future of education?
The TEO and ESA are pleased to offer teacher candidates the opportunity to attend and present at WestCAST 2027, with travel, accommodation, and conference registration funded by the TEO! As funds are limited, we aim to send three to four TCs to WestCAST each year. Now, it’s your turn to represent UBC!
WestCAST is an annual conference that brings together teacher candidates and educators to exchange ideas, share practices, and explore the questions shaping education. This year’s conference will take place at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon from February 17–19, 2027. The theme for 2027 is A Century of Connection: Preparing Future Educators for an Evolving World. It invites reflection on the relationships, communities, places, research, practices, and histories that shape education and how we imagine its future.
Please visit WestCAST 2027 to explore the conference theme, guiding questions, and “official” proposal requirements.
How does the application process for funding work? There are two steps:
Step 1: Apply to the TEO by November 6, 2026.
Submit a short proposal outlining the idea you would like to share at WestCAST. The TEO and ESA selection team will review applications and select three to four teacher candidates for funding support. To apply for TEO funding, please complete the internal application form here.
Step 2: Submit your proposal to WestCAST by November 16, 2026.
If selected by the team, you will then submit a formal proposal directly to the conference. While the selection committee provides funding support, it does not guarantee acceptance by the conference organisers. DO NOT apply to WestCAST until you have been accepted for TEO funding.
Important dates:
- November 6, 2026: Internal TEO application deadline (by 4:30 p.m.)
- November 11, 2026: Target date for notifying selected candidates
- November 16, 2026: WestCAST conference proposal deadline
- February 17–19, 2027: WestCAST conference in Saskatoon
You don’t need to be an experienced presenter to apply. We encourage teacher candidates with questions, experiences, emerging ideas, or teaching practices they would like to explore to consider this opportunity. Your proposal does not need to be fully developed at this stage; we want to hear what you are interested in sharing and why it matters.
We hope you will consider taking up this opportunity to develop your professional voice, learn alongside other future educators, and contribute to a wider conversation about education.