July 5, 2023
The Government of Canada’s Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Innovation Program grants funding to projects that support the exploration, testing and development of innovative approaches to support children and families’ access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services across the country.
On July 4, 2023, Parliamentary Secretary, Ya’ara Saks announced that UBC Faculty of Education is one of two recipients for project funding through the program. UBC Education is receiving funding for development of a Professional Development for Early Learning and ELCC Workers Through an Indigenous-Early Childhood Education Massive Open Online Course.
The project focuses on providing early childhood educators with professional development opportunities to receive training on incorporating Indigenous perspectives, worldviews and pedagogies into early learning and child care environments through the development of an online course. The course will provide free online training across Canada to enable more early childhood educators access to these critical skills—including increasing access for Indigenous families and children to affordable, culturally appropriate early learning and child care.
“With generous funding from Employment and Social Development Canada, our project will be able to provide early childhood educators across Canada with professional development training in how to incorporate Indigenous perspectives, worldviews and pedagogies into early learning and child care environments. Through this training, not only are we able to further implement Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action to develop culturally appropriate early childhood education programs for Aboriginal families, we are able to create safe and supportive learning environments, programs and services for all children.”
— Dr. Jan Hare, Dean pro tem, UBC Faculty of Education
To learn more, read the official Employment and Social Development Canada news release.
