Lethbridge couple Bernadine and Toby Boulet have made a legacy gift to the University of Lethbridge that will one day support student teachers heading to rural communities. The donation, a life insurance policy, will go toward the university’s Paving Roads to Success campaign, which helps third-year education students cover costs during rural practicums.
The Boulets, both retired educators with more than 60 years of teaching experience between them, said the gift was a simple way to give back. “The life insurance gift was easy to do,” Toby Boulet said. “We pay monthly, receive a tax benefit now and it allows us to leave money to the University of Lethbridge in the future.”
The Paving Roads to Success campaign, launched in 2024, aims to raise $75,000 to provide $1,000 bursaries for teaching students doing 16-week placements in smaller communities. The university says 70 per cent of students in rural placements struggle with travel and living costs, and nearly 40 per cent say money worries hurt their grades. Alberta faces a projected 37 per cent drop in teachers over the next three years, making efforts to attract educators to rural areas even more urgent.
Doug Checkley, assistant dean of field experiences at the university, said longer rural practicums boost the chances a student teacher will look for work in that community. “It’s a win for the students and a win for our rural partners who we are hoping to support in finding new teachers for their communities,” he said.
The Boulets’ connection to rural teaching is personal. Their son Logan, who died in the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash, had planned to study education and once told his parents he could see himself living and teaching in Humboldt. Logan’s decision to register as an organ donor just weeks before the crash saved six lives and sparked a national movement, with about 150,000 Canadians signing up to be donors in what became known as the Logan Boulet Effect.
Bernadine Boulet, who started her own teaching career in a rural setting, sees a parallel between organ donation and helping future teachers. “You’re helping shape someone’s future, and that makes a difference for all the people they impact in their careers,” she said. The university is currently matching all contributions to the campaign up to $50,000 through its Board of Governors.
