Dr Teena Maria Starlight EdD - Co Founder of CyberCloud-AI
Danit’ada, Sizi Tsuut’ina Nishina ata. Her name means Tsuut’ina-Cree Woman. Her English name is Dr Teena Maria Starlight.
Recognizing the rapid advancement of technology and its impact on education, Teena is passionately advocating for the inclusion of critical tech education for all youth in Canada, focusing on AI, cybersecurity, cloud technology, and combating social media disinformation. These fields are crucial as countries like the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Israel, and the United Kingdom have already integrated tech education into their school curriculums.
Teena believes that equipping Canadian students with these skills is essential for them to become world leaders in technology education. She began her teaching career with the Calgary Board of Education. Teena then worked for the Kainai Board of Education for 14 years. During this time, she returned to school part-time at the University of Lethbridge, earning her Master’s Degree in FNMI Curriculum Leadership in 2012.
Teena returned to her homeland of Tsuut’ina in 2016, starting as a teacher and soon becoming the Vice Principal at Chiila Elementary. In the fall of 2017, she accepted the position of Tsuut’ina Curriculum Developer for Education. Teena was also a professor at Mount Royal University teaching the Indigenous Perspectives course in 2020-2022. Teena is a strong advocate for Indigenous youth and Indigenous Education. Teena currently works for Ever Active Schools as the Indigenous Youth Mentorship Program National Director.