Latest News
| June - August 2011 | July and August have been busy with the recruitment and hiring of an Aboriginal graduate student who will work closely with the BCRI Chair on various AECD projects. Danielle Alphonse, a Cowichan Tribes member, will begin working with Linda McDonell in late August. As well Linda has a small group of students supported through Work Opportunity funds continuing with an Environmental Scan of AECD organizations, services and post secondary training in the Central Island Region, BC and beyond. Another student and member of Cowichan Tribes has provided her research skills over the past several months to review cultural contributions made by Cowichan Elders to the (Cowichan Campus) Child and Youth Care program to support eventual archiving of the cultural teachings shared in the classroom.
An exciting plan is reaching the implementation phase at the Cowichan Campus. The AECD Chair has been working over the past few months with Cowichan Tribes, VIU Contract Services (Cowichan), and the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Faculty (Nanaimo) to deliver a First Nation ECEC program. Students who have already taken a few courses (as plans for the full program have been developed) are very excited about attending the beautiful new campus in Duncan. This program will graduate approximately twenty students who will complete educational qualifications to work in Early Childhood settings in their own communities or in programs across the province.
Since May, the Chair has worked to plan with communities of Snuneymux'w, Stzu'minus, Snaw'nawas, Cowichan, Halalt, and Penelakut to hold meetings of those working (or with an interest in) Aboriginal Early Childhood Development programs and services. The purpose of these meetings is to share community visions for AECD and to consider ways in which the BCRIC for AECD can support the communities in their work on behalf of young children and their families. |
| May, 2011 | In mid-May the first formal meeting of the newly established AECD Advisory Committee was held in the new Aboriginal Gathering Place at VIU, Shqu'apthut. While an important focus of the discussions was to familiarize members with AECD and to gather advice related to future direction, the Elder in Residence (Cowichan) Florence James provided a key message to guide our future work. She reminded us that we must think of our work as "steering the canoe", paddling together - as one - from Nation to Nation with the child as the focus - Nuts'amaat Shqwaluwun - in mind, body and spirit. |
| Jan.-Apr.2011 | During this time, meetings and investigations continued to determine other post-secondary institutions, agencies and organizations whose mandate is related to AECD. An Advisory committee was established following a meeting in February with with broad community representation of various individuals and organizations working in AECD. For more details see the AECD Advisory Committee web page. |
Oct.- Dec. 2010 |
Activities over these few months focused on meeting with other institutions, organizations and agencies to inform them about the BCRIC AECD announcement and to learn about the mandates and activities of these groups. In each of these meetings, there were discussions about ways to connect and work together, as well as sourcing potential project partnerships and collaborations. Also, a group of four undergraduate students ( 3 First Nation students and 1 International) were hired under the Work Opportunities Program at VIU. The students began the work of the environmental scan of AECD organizations in the VIU region, the province and beyond. As well work with other Faculty started in an Elder Book project the purpose of which is to document the teachings of the Elders. |
Sept. 2010 |
Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, BC, announced the appointment of Linda McDonell to the BC Regional Innovation Chair (BCRIC) for Aboriginal Early Childhood Development (AECD). The Leading Edge Endowment Fund of BC provided $1.25 million for the Chair and an additional $1.25 million was granted by the previous Federal Government’s Early Learning & Child Care Fund. An endowment was established to invest in Aboriginal Early Childhood Development to help strengthen the health and prospects of Aboriginal children. Ms. McDonell will now begin the task of implementing the research and innovation plan formed in collaboration with many committed individuals and organizations. |
| March 2009 | A proposal outlining a vision for a comprehensive and collaborative research and innovation plan and a nominee to undertake the work was put forward in March, 2009. The collaboration between VIU, First Nation communities and Aboriginal organizations and agencies holds great promise for strengthening educational preparation and professional development of ECD practitioners. It is believed this will support best practice in AECD programs and services ultimately positively influencing the health and development of children and families in Aboriginal communities. |
| March 2004 | A Letter of Intent (LOI) to establish a BC Regional Innovation Chair (BCRIC) in Aboriginal Early Childhood Development (AECD) at Vancouver Island University (VIU) was developed in collaboration with the First Nations communities and Aboriginal organizations in the Central Island region. The LOI was submitted to the Leading Edge Endowment Foundation in 2004 and approved in 2005. |