ITEP student lounge event awarded Prix d'Excellence

The "Dr. Cecil King Indian Teacher Education Program (ITEP) Student Lounge dedication event" held last September was recognized with a 2025 Prix d'Excellence Gold Award by the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education in the Indigenous/Reconciliation Event category. Awarded July 8 & 9, the Prix d'Excellence recognize distinction in alumni & community relations, marketing, communications, fundraising, and donor relations in post-secondary institutions across Canada.

King’s family travelled from Ontario and Regina to attend the renaming of the lounge. This space revitalization uplifts First Nations students and honours King’s legacy through ceremony; facilitates alumni and student connections; and communicates this legacy to the broader college community. With the new lounge, ITEP students feel safe and have a deeper sense of belonging and connection. The initiative aligns with the University of Saskatchewan's Indigenous Strategy, ohpahotân | oohpaahotaan, created by Indigenous people and gifted to the university in 2021.

ITEP director Yvette Arcand led the project, with contributions from Arlene Bear, Tracy Roy, Meagan Hinther, Connor Jay and ITEP staff and students.