Dr. Helen Raptis

Biography

Helen Raptis is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Victoria, specializing in the Social and Historical Foundations of Education. Her research focuses on Aboriginal and Indigenous Education and the impacts of historical policies on minority learners in British Columbia's educational systems. Raptis employs historical sociological research methodologies to investigate government policies affecting education, particularly those related to Indigenous communities. Her SSHRC Insight Development Grant project from 2014 to 2017 assessed the role of teachers during World War II, emphasizing how classrooms became sites of patriotism. Raptis has explored the educational experiences of the W’sanec people from 1951 to 1971, examining the government's shift from segregation to integration, highlighting the challenges faced by Aboriginal children. As a co-founder of the Lower Vancouver Island Retired Teachers' Education Heritage Museum, she engages with community members and educators to provide access to digitized educational artifacts, enhancing research and teaching relating to British Columbia's educational history.

Research Interests

Experience