A digital solution to support teachers applying for certification in Canada

Project details

Pathways to Teach Canada needed a centralized digital solution to support internationally educated teachers (IETs) applying for certification in Canada. This project included a content website for information and a portal to manage applications, assessments, and payments.

Problem statement

Becoming certified to teach in Canada shouldn’t be complicated—but for internationally educated teachers (IETs), it often is. Each province and territory had its own rules, forms, and timelines, leaving applicants frustrated and regulatory bodies burdened with manual processes. A single, streamlined platform was needed to guide applicants, manage assessments, and integrate with multiple third-party services—all while remaining compliant and multilingual.

What we did

We began with a thorough discovery phase, including third party interviews, proto-personas, comparative analysis, and technical strategy. This helped us understand user pain points, which included delayed certification, difficulty storing and retrieving documents, inconsistent provincial requirements, and manual vetting processes. We then proposed a comprehensive solution:

• Branding & Content Website: We developed a small brand identity and logo, then designed a content website built on Laravel/Filament. The site included an eligibility quiz, multilingual content, and a pagebuilder-style CMS to give the client flexibility.
• Portal Development: The portal, also built on Laravel/Filament, integrates with XpressLab, WES, Managexam, and Stripe. Users can manage accounts, request assessments, pay fees, view application statuses, and submit assessment reports to provinces and territories. Single sign-on functionality and data compliance were top priorities.
• Collaborative Approach: Development was milestone-driven, separating portal functionality from API integrations to manage third-party delays. The client was actively involved throughout design and development, ensuring alignment with their vision.

Outcomes

The project successfully launched a unified platform for the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. Internationally Educated Teachers seeking to teach within participating provinces and territories in Canada now have a single point of entry to navigate the first step of the certification process, and regulatory bodies can efficiently manage evaluations. The portal integrates seamlessly with multiple third-party systems, reducing manual work and improving turnaround times.

Pathways to Teach Canada continues to engage Paper Leaf for ongoing enhancements, hosting, and maintenance, demonstrating strong trust and a productive partnership. The solution has improved accessibility, efficiency, and transparency across the teacher certification process in Canada.