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First Nations communities have particular needs to maintain cultural values as a central aspect of community. Elders, as the bearers of traditions and experience, are both the appropriate source and the appropriate vehicle for the maintenance and transmission of those values. On Vancouver Island, Malaspina University College delivers Child and Youth Care (CYC) First Nations 2-year diploma programs that incorporate the teachings of local elders through weekly seminars. Themes and topics covered in the seminars are subsequently woven into assignments and evaluation for other courses in the curriculum. This strategy aims to produce human services practitioners who understand the people, issues, and dynamics of the local area, as well as larger themes concerning worldview and identity. At the same time, provision of education in the home area lowers the monetary and social costs typically incurred when students go away to college. This paper defines elders and their traditional roles as teachers and role models; describes the relationship between elders and the teachings, the ongoing educational and social impact of oral tradition in Native communities, and the nature of intergenerational transmission of culture within the community; and discusses elements of the CYC program concerned with community connections, student engagement, and protocols of respect and proper conduct in the Elder Teachings course. (SV)