Description
This program prepares you for a career working with students in an educational setting to support the work of the teachers and clinicians.
You will study and explore the developmental needs of children, as well as the instructional strategies to meet those needs. There is a focus on a variety of relevant topics ranging from inclusive education and learner characteristics to supporting the learning environment, managing behavior, and professionalism.
Oral presentations, written assignments, and group projects are part of the program.
You can also complete this program through part-time study online courses. To learn how, see Educational Assistant Certificate
NOTE: Students in the EA program are responsible for coordinating and completing First Aid/CPR through an external provider and submit documentation supporting completion in order to proceed to practicum and graduate from their program.
DOCUMENT SUBMISSION
Upload Through Your Future Student Account
If you do not have a Future Student Account or require assistance, please contact our Student Service Centre at 204-632-2327.
Internationally Educated Applicants - visit www.rrc.ca/credentials for credential assessment information.
However, if you apply within 6 weeks of the program start date, admission requirements are due within 5 days of applying.
Regular Admission Requirements
Mature Student Admission Requirements
If
you are 19 years of age or older and have been out of high school for a
minimum of one year at time of application, and you do not meet the
regular admission requirements, you may apply under the Mature Student
admission requirements.
1. Academic Requirement
o High school graduation is not required, but you must submit an official transcript
o Include resume
o Submit one page handwritten letter explain why you are interested in the program.
You must meet the other regular Admissions Requirements 2 & 3 above.
Program Progression Requirements
Program progression requirements are not due within 15 days of applying and should be submitted after you start classes.
| English Language Assessment | Minimum Required Levels | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L - Listening, S - Speaking, R - Reading, W - Writing | L | S | R | W |
| AEPUCE
(Academic English Program of University and College Entrance )
Requirement: Submission of a parchment (certificate) indicating successful completion of the AEPUCE program, including language levels achieved if available. | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| CAEL and CAEL Online (Canadian Academic English Language) | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
| CLB (LINC)
(Canadian Language Benchmark - Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada)
Canadian Citizens: LINC programs are not available. | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Duolingo
(Duolingo English Test)
* MINIMUM OVERAL SCORE OF 115 REQUIRED. There are no minimum required levels for L,S,R,W. Only Duolingo English Test scores that have been verified through the Duolingo English Test Portal will be accepted. | 0* | 0* | 0* | 0* |
| IELTS - Academic
(International English Language Testing System)
Please Note: 3 year expiry date for Nursing Program Applicants | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| PTE - Academic Online Assessment (Pearson Test of English) | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 |
| Password Skills
(An in person English Language Assessment hosted by RRC Polytech)
This in-person, computer-based test is composed of four test modules: reading, writing, listening and speaking. The test takes 3 hours and 5 minutes to complete and is conducted in two parts. The first part assesses reading, listening, and writing, and the second part assesses speaking in a separate room.
Password Skills is hosted by the RRC Polytech Testing and Assessment Centre: E440, Manitou a bi Bii Daziigae building, on the fourth floor.
If you wish to do Password Skills remotely (not in-person), Password Skills Plus can be taken online. RRC Polytech does not offer Password Skills Plus, but we do accept the results for entry into program.
| 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Password Skills Plus (Password Skills Plus is an online assessment that can be taken instead of Password Skills. ) | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| TOEFL-iBT
(Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet Based Test)
To meet the needs of students who are unable to take the TOEFL iBT® test at a test center due to public health concerns, ETS is temporarily offering the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition test in selected areas. | 20 | 20 | 19 | 24 |
| Location | Start Date | Apply Link |
|---|---|---|
| Portage La Prairie Campus | Sep 02, 2025 | Apply Now |
| Location | Start Date | Apply Link |
|---|---|---|
| Selkirk | Sep 02, 2025 | Apply Now |
| Location | Start Date | Apply Link |
|---|---|---|
| Steinbach | Sep 02, 2025 | Apply Now |
| Location | Start Date | Apply Link |
|---|---|---|
| Winkler Campus | Sep 02, 2025 | Apply Now |
Students may apply for financial assistance through the Manitoba Student Aid program. For general information on applying please call 204-945-6321 or 1-800-204-1685, or visit their website at www.manitobastudentaid.ca, which also includes an online application. For detailed information, please visit one of the RRC Polytech Student Service Centres or call 204-632-2327. Applicants requiring financial assistance should complete their student loan applications well in advance of the class start date.
You must successfully complete 17 courses and the practicum to graduate from this program. Total program hours will be either 548 or 554 hours, depending on your chosen electives.
Courses to be taken in the following order:
Can be taken in any order but recommend the following:
Elective: (choose one)
Final course:
Note: Students require a C+ in each course to successfully complete the program. The practicum is based on a Pass/Fail.
*Students in the EA program are responsible for coordinating and completing First Aid/CPR through an external provider and submit the documentation supporting completion in order to proceed to practicum and graduate from their program. Contact the program facilitator for more information, cpfau@rrc.ca.
**WEVAS is not currently available.
The purpose of this course is to increase fundamental knowledge and skills using a current Windows operating system. The course content includes an introduction to Microsoft Office 365, including Outlook, Word and PowerPoint applications. Being able to competently use basic computer technology should enable you to assist teachers and support students more effectively.
This course instructs the techniques and processes for educational assistants to produce accurate documentation in written communication skills using a variety of genre. It outlines the use of a thesis statement and APA format for research purposes. Emphasis is placed on sentence structure, developing a variety of sentence types and the correct use of grammar, spelling, capitalization and punctuation. The intent of this course is to provide educational assistants with the skills to support students in the writing process. The course should improve the educational assistant’s written communication with teachers.
This course examines the evolution of inclusive education in the public school system with an emphasis on the supportive services available to students in an inclusive classroom setting. The majority of educational assistants working in Manitoba school are employed to support students receiving inclusive education services. This course supplies background information that assists educational assistants to contribute to meaningful discussions about students who have exceptionalities. It puts the educational assistants “in the loop” without requiring that they be “experts” and without implying that they are in any way responsible for programming decisions. This course helps the educational assistants to better interpret program instructions and implementation strategies. This knowledge assists educational assistants to participate on a more meaningful level than simply following instruction. It helps educational assistants to prepare for the variety of challenges that they encounter in schools with an emphasis on making their work more effective in the supporting role that they serve with teachers in assisting students to work toward achieving the outcomes that have been identified in their program. This course provides basic terminology related to inclusive education that enables educational assistants to dialogue with teachers regarding students who have specific exceptionalities.
This course familiarizes you with the school system and how to effectively operate within this setting. It provides a detailed study of how a school system functions. Emphasis is placed on the roles and responsibilities of the educational assistant in the classroom and within the educational support system.
Educational assistants serve an important and dynamic role in providing educational opportunities to students and in making schools more efficient and effective. Gaining knowledge concerning the school system’s operations and the role descriptions of educational assistants and other staff enables you to attend to your duties with confidence.
Develop a professional portfolio that will be the foundation of your career development. Developing a professional portfolio will build your own and other's awareness of your proven skills, knowledge and understanding. Learn what to document, how to document it, and how to use your professional portfolio for a successful job interview.
This course provides an overview of communication skills and strategies that foster effective team functioning as well as a rationale for effective communication and collaborative teamwork. There is a focus on interpersonal communication that involves relating to others in verbal, non-verbal, visual and written forms. Throughout this course, students will have the opportunity to try the techniques suggested and self-evaluate to find the communications styles that work best for specific individuals.
This course examines the process of learning for all children. Topics include stages of development, learning styles, theories of learning, influences on learning and theories of intelligence.
Management of student behaviour is a major concern for teachers and educational assistants because of its importance in establishing a positive learning environment. This course provides information and strategies on how educational assistants can contribute to an effective behaviour management approach.
Supporting the teacher in providing behavioural and social support to students is one of the main roles of educational assistants, therefore, it is important for educational assistants to have the skills to effectively manage student behaviour and assist in the development of the social interaction skills of students.
This course provides an overview of how the learning environment influences learning outcomes and the ways that educational assistants support students. The main function of an educational assistant in a classroom is to provide support for students and assist teachers so that students can achieve the outcomes that have been identified for them in their program. Student contact time is identified as a main role of educational assistants. This course provides a detailed description of an educational assistant’s role and responsibilities in providing tutorial support for students.
This course provides an overview of the reasons for student assessment and evaluation with a focus on how the educational assistant can assist in student observation, record keeping and reporting to the teacher. Educational assistants observe and record student performance, therefore it is important that they are aware of the assessment process and gain knowledge regarding ways that they can support this process.
This course explores aspects of professional conduct and ethical practices as they relate to interacting with students, teachers, other school staff and the community. Educational assistants encounter ethical issues, including confidentiality, record management and the demands placed upon them by teachers and staff. Therefore, it is important that educational assistants discuss and practice ethical guidelines.
This course uses a hands-on approach to familiarizing students with the various ways in which technology can be used as an instructional tool. Students are engaged in acquiring knowledge and practicing subject specific skills and procedures using technology. Being able to competently use instructional technology should enable educational assistants to assist teachers and support students more effectively. This course gives a focus to curriculum support and assistive/augmentative technology.
This course provides information about specific student exceptionalities, how certain characteristics may affect the learning process of students and strategies that can be utilized by educational assistants working with students who experience these challenges. As an educational assistant, it is important to be knowledgeable about the diverse educational characteristics of students in classrooms and the implications of these characteristics for instruction. This course provides an emphasis on making the educational assistant’s work more effective in the supporting role with teachers in assisting students to work toward achieving the outcomes that have been identified in their program. This course provides the basic terminology that enables educational assistants to dialogue with teachers regarding students who have specific exceptionalities.
This course provides information and practical strategies for educational assistants that should make their work more effective when supporting students in the English Language Arts curriculum. The language arts program is a major content area that educational assistants will encounter when working with individual and groups of students. By developing knowledge and strategies in this content area, educational assistants will be more informed to assist teachers and support students more effectively.
This course focuses on building encouragement, positive attitudes, confidence and academic content, practice and strategy application that can be utilized by educational assistants when supporting student learning in Mathematics. Developing knowledge of the curriculum, math processes, positive attitudes and core competencies will enable educational assistants to support students and teachers more effectively.
Learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health issues in youth, to provide initial help and to guide youth toward appropriate support.
This course provides simple First Aid and CPR techniques taught in an interactive environment for individuals who want an overview of First Aid and CPR for the home or workplace. This course covers the role, function and responsibilities of the first aider, skills needed to recognize and respond to emergencies, shock and treatment, major bleeds. obstructed airway and other breathing emergencies, cardiovascular emergencies, and CPR Level C. CPR Level C covers adult/child/baby CPR - one rescuer, adult/child/baby choking, barrier devices/pocket masks, AED, adult/child 2-rescuer CPR.
(No description available at this time)
Learn to recognize challenging behaviour and develop the skills that focus on your response. Improve your communication skills to help the student return to a safe learning state.
This course provides practical experience through interaction with students and staff in an approved educational setting. It provides the student with an opportunity to shadow and observe experienced educational assistants, to have student contact time and to participate in tutoring activities with students while supporting classroom teachers. At the practicum site, educational assistant candidates are expected to participate as fully as possible in the delivery of support services. This includes working cooperatively as an active team member, sharing responsibilities for carrying out prescribed duties, demonstrating self-initiative, attending required meetings and contributing new ideas and approaches appropriate to the placement. Educational assistants are under the supervision of the site supervisor or designate for the entire duration of the placement period.
The Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (R) Program is a safe, non-harmful behaviour management system designed to aid human service professionals in the management of disruptive and assaultive people, even during the most violent moments. It has been developed by the Crisis Prevention Institute, a training organization devoted to training staff in the safe management of potentially violent individuals.
Online learning is a critical component of course delivery in all Red River College Polytechnic programs. To ensure each student has the tools they need to achieve their academic goals, all Red River College Polytechnic students require, at minimum:
1. Off-campus access to a current computer with a webcam
2. A high speed internet connection
• Recommended minimum speed: 10 mbps for download, 3 mbps for upload
• Slower internet connection speeds may result in audio and video issues. Please keep in mind that if others in your home are using the same internet connection at the same time as you are, you may also experience audio and video issues.
• Please refer to https://www.rrc.ca/future-students/computer-requirements/ for further information on Computer Requirements for Students.
Please note that any anticipated costs are not included in Books and Supplies estimates. https://www.rrc.ca/future-students/computer-requirements/
Upon successful completion of the program, you should be able to:
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process which documents and compares an individual's prior learning gained from prior education, work and life experiences and personal study to the learning outcomes in College courses/programs. For more information, please visit www.rrc.ca/rpl.
Educational Assistant graduates will find a range of entry-level employment opportunities in educational settings.
For information about related programs and services, visit Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), formerly Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC).
For information about the labour market and earning potential, visit the Job Bank.