Posted by admin under Interning with WAYK, Summer Language Intensive

The WAYK team is excited to share a new opportunity to participate in our Summer Language Intensive (SLI) project. 

An immersion language session at the Treehouse in Port Hardy, BC. A circle of chairs fills the room while some students are standing and laughing. Colourful language posters and sticky notes are on the walls behind everyone.

From 2011 through 2019, the WAYK team offered summer internship opportunities as a part of our Summer Language Intensives. Unfortunately, in 2020 we had to reconfigure our plans for the SLI, due to the pandemic. While we still completed a summer project in 2020, it looked a lot different than in previous summers. We were not able to bring interns to North Vancouver to join us in a way that would have been safe for the community, for the interns, or for us. 

Since 2020, we have continued to offer summer programming each year. We have been able to support interns from within our network and from the communities we’ve worked with. However, due to safety concerns during the pandemic and more recent budget limitations for language work, we have not been ready to resume an open call for interns…until now! 

This year the opportunity to join the WAYK Summer Language Intensive will be available again, but it will look a little different. Internships previously available through WAYK are now offered under an apprenticeship program run by our partner organization Language Teacher Toolbox, a non-profit society based in British Columbia, Canada. 

The Language Teacher Toolbox (LTT) team includes WAYK staff who volunteer their time to the non-profit, as well as community members from many of the communities in BC that WAYK has partnered with over the years. The goal of the non-profit is to support Indigenous language teachers and learners. 

The beachside walking path in Port Hardy, BC with low clouds in the sky and mountains visible in the distance.
View of Storey's Beach with tall, sparse yellow flowers in the foreground, driftwood, the beach, and the ocean behind with islands in the distance.
View of the beach, ocean and trees at Halibut Bight rest area in Haida Gwaii, BC. A branch hangs down in the foreground and the beach is covered in shadows of trees and branches.

How will the LTT apprenticeships be similar to the previous WAYK internships? 

  • Apprentices will still travel to work “in community” on language revitalization projects.
  • Apprentices will still be expected to engage in the daily work of a language program, participate in language activities, rotate through leadership roles, and assist with planning and problem solving throughout the project.
  • Apprentices will receive training in the WAYK methodology from members of the WAYK team as well as from community members who are using WAYK in their community projects. 
A salmonberry bush with bright pink flowers, one open next to a green, very unripe salmonberry.
Trailing blackberry flowers in bloom, delicate white flowers in the foreground with thimbleberry leaves in the background.
Bright pinkish red huckleberries and drops of rain on stems above the camera with more out-of-focus branches and berries in the background.
A closeup of a person's hand holding bright red thimbleberries in the foreground with out-of-focus thimbleberry bushes in the background.

How will the LTT apprenticeships be different? 

  • Language Teacher Toolbox will administer the apprenticeships, in collaboration with our partner communities and with WAYK. 
  • Apprenticeships are paid, full-time, short-term positions. Travel, lodging, and meals will be provided. 
  • LTT asks apprentices to commit to a 4-month agreement. Ideally, they will travel to more than one community to gain a broader experience than working in just one place. While apprentices will still be able to participate in the Summer Language Intensive, they will experience more than the SLI.
  • Apprenticeships will be available beyond the summer season. While the schedule for apprenticeships is dependent on funding, LTT has plans to offer spots for apprentices in Fall 2026 and beyond. 

More information about the LTT apprenticeships can be found on LTT website, including answers to some frequently asked questions. Applications for apprenticeships starting in May 2026 are open until February 28, 2026. Apply now if you are interested in joining us for the Summer Language Intensive! 

Click here to visit the Language Teacher Toolbox Website. 

Click here to start your application for an apprenticeship today. 

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