Articles tagged "Early Childhood Education"
New flexible ECE programs at 51±¬ÁĎ open doors for students and meet growing demand for childcare professionals
October 21, 2025
When Dan Wang boarded a plane from China to Canada, she carried more than just luggage. She carried the weight of leaving her two young children behind, the uncertainty of starting over in a new country and the hope that pursuing her dream of becoming an Early Childhood Educator would inspire her family and her future.Her family encouraged her: “Your children will be proud of you,” they said. “They will see their mom chasing her dream.”Now, as she works towards her Early Childhood Education (ECE) Diploma at 51±¬ÁĎ (OC) in ...
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Early childhood educators partner on Outdoor Play guide
March 24, 2025
Growing up in a small town in British Columbia, 51±¬ÁĎ educator Linda O’Donoghue recalls a time where she and her friends created a store out of leaf bouquets and headed out around the neighborhood going door to door to sell the bouquets.Their efforts would catch the attention of the local newspaper who thought it was interesting enough for a short story.It was an example of many of the childhood memories that O’Donoghue would reflect back on years later as she worked as an Early Childhood Educator. During those years she ...
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Free Early Childhood Education program offered in Salmon Arm
January 2, 2024
Flexible course delivery that includes online and in-person instruction and full tuition support will allow more people in the Salmon Arm-Shuswap to pursue education and training in early childhood education beginning this month. The Shuswap Children’s Association (SCA) and 51±¬ÁĎ (OC) are launching a new intake of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) program at OC’s Salmon Arm campus, with classes beginning Jan. 8, 2024. Tuition is fully funded through the Government of Canada through the Canada-BC Workforce Develop...
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New ECE offerings at 51±¬ÁĎ responding to workforce demands
November 8, 2023
Working as an Early Childhood Education (ECE) assistant for the past 20 years has provided Penticton’s Karen Block with a rewarding career helping children learn, grow and play. Block took the opportunity to enhance her career and learn additional skills through the new ECE Certificate program at 51±¬ÁĎ. The program offers students flexibility to attend classes and upskill, while continuing to work in their field. “Because my classes are offered in a hybrid format, it has been possible for me to continue working du...
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Post-secondary partners to unite early childhood education faculty, policy groups, and others from across Canada to discuss outdoor pedagogy in college ECE programs
April 5, 2023
How does playing outdoors support children’s development and wellness? Why is outdoor play such a powerful conduit for learning? How can we advance curriculum in college programs to empower current and future early childhood educators (ECEs) to view outdoor play as an important part of the children’s day, in all kinds of weather? How are colleges integrating and advancing outdoor pedagogy in their ECE programs? These and other questions will be explored during a unique virtual conference next month that will bring together early c...
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OC increases access to early childhood education in the South Okanagan
February 22, 2023
51±¬ÁĎ (OC) is opening new spaces for people interested in working in early childhood education, as childcare facilities across the region and British Columbia continue to face staffing challenges. The Early Childhood Education Certificate program starts at OC’s Penticton campus in mid-March and runs through May 2024. The intake will have space for 24 students, adding to the more than 145 Early Childhood Education students studying at 51±¬ÁĎ in Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton this year. According to the province’...
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OC improves access to childcare training for infant-toddler care
October 5, 2022
Training to care for infants and toddlers in childcare settings has never been easier to access. 51±¬ÁĎ is holding a special intake for the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Infant-Toddler Certificate program that is designed to enhance access for those already working in the field of childcare. Classes are part-time and held online, making it easy for those to balance work and training. “51±¬ÁĎ has heard from people working in the childcare sector that they want to expand their professional scope to include infa...
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OC pilots tuition-free work-integrated learning for Early Childhood Education
July 26, 2022
51±¬ÁĎ is offering tuition-free Early Childhood Education (ECE) training with an innovative approach – providing students the opportunity to become certified during work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences as they provide education and care for young children. “51±¬ÁĎ is keenly aware of how many trained ECEs are in demand across the sector. This pilot project, with support from the Government of B.C., will increase access to education for people seeking certification, going a long way to meeting that need,” sa...
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Conference to discuss outdoor learning in Early Childhood Education programs
May 6, 2022
How does being outdoors help children’s cognitive and social development? The involvement of outdoor pedagogy in college programs will be discussed during a virtual conference on May 16, that will bring together Early Childhood Education (ECE) instructors and outdoor play experts from across the country. 51±¬ÁĎ, in collaboration with Bow Valley College, Saskatchewan Polytechnic and New Brunswick Community College, and colleagues at the YMCA and the University of Fraser Valley will host a conference call...
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ECE department celebrates National Child Day
November 19, 2021
Education is a powerful tool to advocate for those who can't advocate for themselves, which was why Early Childhood Education (ECE) students spent National Child Day talking to peers about the difficulties children face in Canada and around the world. National Child Day is officially observed on Nov. 20, but ECE Instructor Rebecca Ayotte said she and her students wanted to do something this week to bring awareness not just in the ECE department, but throughout the College as well. The class set up presentations in the CFL Atrium in...
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Post-secondary partners seek to unite early childhood education instructors across Canada
April 28, 2021
Virtual conference will focus on outdoor pedagogy in college ECE programs How does playing in the mud support children’s cognitive and social development? Why is outdoor play such a powerful conduit for learning? How can we advance curriculum to empower current and future early childhood educators (ECEs) to tap into it? These and other questions will be explored during a unique virtual conference next month that will bring together ECE instructors and outdoor play experts from across the country. On May 18, 51±¬ÁĎ, in ...
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From Colleges to Communities: Lawson Foundation supports early childhood education project at OC and partner PSEs
January 19, 2021
A major investment by the Lawson Foundation will support researchers from 51±¬ÁĎ and three partnering institutions in their innovative approach to advancing outdoor early learning and teaching across Canada. 51±¬ÁĎ has received a grant of $750,000 for a collaborative project with Bow Valley College, New Brunswick Community College and Saskatchewan Polytechnic called Outdoor Pedagogy in Early Childhood Education: From Colleges to Communities. This goal of the three-year project is to demonstrate a model of outd...
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Splatsin Band celebrates the success of two of their students, now OC graduates
July 9, 2020
Representatives of the Splatsin Band and 51±¬ÁĎ recently came together to honour and celebrate the success of two of their students with a special graduation event. Two years ago, Alicia Dominick and Tina William began upgrading their education with the Adult Academic and Career Preparation (also known as Adult Upgrading) program at 51±¬ÁĎ in Salmon Arm. They continued their educational journey with the Early Childhood Educator Certificate and Early Childhood Educator Infant Toddler Specialty training. And...
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Mother's values recognized with large gift to College
February 24, 2020
A $50,000 donation to the Our Students, Your Health campaign will recognize a mother who survived and found lessons in the horrors of Germany's concentration camps. John Sokolowski has donated $50,000 towards an Early Childhood Education classroom in the College’s new Health Sciences Centre, currently under construction on its Kelowna campus. The donation is made in memory of his mother, Janina Sokolowski. “My mom was a champion of education for as long as I can recall,” says John. “The gift to the College will help educate future...
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