The BCTF will be holding the Women’s Institute in Vancouver on February 20–22, 2025, at the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel. Objectives for the Women’s Institute are as follows:

1. To create an opportunity for members who identify as women to share their experiences, build community, and learn new leadership skills and strategies together.
2. To support and inspire women’s leadership in the workplace, union, and broader community.
3. To deepen an understanding of women’s issues, decolonization, feminist analyses, intersectionality, and effective collective organizing.
4. To celebrate the contributions of women in the union, profession, and community.
5. To gather feedback from the participants’ lived experiences as to the opportunities for and challenges to participation at the school, local, and community levels.

This event welcomes members with equity-deserving gender identities, including women-identifying individuals, and non-binary and gender non-conforming people who are comfortable in a space that centers the experiences of women.

Participation at this event will include the following:

• Each local and sublocal can send one delegate who:
  • identifies as a woman, including non-binary and gender non-conforming people who are comfortable in a space that centers the experiences of women.
  • has not attended previous Women’s Institutes.
• Members of the Committee for Action on Social Justice Status of Women Action Group and Women in Leadership facilitators.
• Executive Committee members who identify as women.
• Additional delegates:
  • up to 25 additional delegates who identify as women will be selected from the membership-at-large, with priority given to those who, in addition to identifying as women, are members of other equity-seeking groups, including trans women, and those who have not attended previous Women’s Institutes.
  • up to 10 additional delegates who, in addition to identifying as women, are in their first five years of teaching and who have not attended previous Women’s Institutes.

If you would like to apply for one of the additional delegate positions, please apply using the appropriate application at this link. The application deadline is November 25, 2024, at 4:00 p.m.

Location
Coast Coal Harbour Hotel—1180 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC.

Agenda

Delegates should be aware that this conference has a very full agenda, including two evening sessions or events. All meals are provided and are part of the conference agenda, so there is very little “down time” over the course of our time together.

Travel and leaves of absence
Leaves of absence will be provided for delegates to travel to and attend the event. Accommodation will be provided at the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel. Please do not contact the hotel to make reservations. BCTF staff will arrange accommodations based on the information delegates provide when they register through the BCTF website. Travel costs will be covered by the BCTF according to BCTF policies. Specific details on these items will be provided directly to delegates.

Childcare
On-site childcare will be provided, if requested. Please ensure that you indicate your on-site childcare requirements, including the ages of children needing care, in your registration information. We will use the data collected through the registration process to arrange childcare, so it is important that this information is provided at the time of registration.

Alternately, delegates can opt to arrange childcare in their home community. BCTF Procedure 10.I.28—4. states:
A maximum claim of $240 per 24-hour day will be paid for outside daycare services. Where care is required for less than a full day, the amount paid will be based on the number of hours of daycare at $18 an hour. The BCTF will only reimburse members for dependant costs that would not otherwise be incurred by the member.

If the provider is a relative, the dependant allowance may be considered a taxable benefit. Deducting taxes owed and reporting to Canada Revenue Agency may be required.

*For definition of “dependant,” please see Members’ Guide Procedure 10.I.28.

For more information on travel expense and reimbursement information, including childcare, for BCTF members, click here.

Deadline: November 25, 2024, at 4:00 p.m.

A CV application form can be found on the BCTF website. 

Applicants may wish to provide, on a voluntary basis, information as to whether they self-identify as a member of one or more equity-deserving groups.

Please be aware that if you are currently on leave from your district, participation is not permitted to ensure that your leave status is not affected. We encourage you to explore future opportunities once your leave has concluded.