2019 Recipients: Excellence in Early Childhood Education

Certificate of Excellence

Certificates of Excellence in Early Childhood Education

British Columbia

Lexie Biegun

Lexie Biegun

Children explore, learn and play on a four-acre, forested property and in art studios, uncovering what really matters to them—and even having nap time outdoors—nurtured by this experienced educator and her trained staff.

New Brunswick

Heather Hamilton

Heather Hamilton

This fourth-generation educator ensures children grow to appreciate the history and nature around them; young learners explore child-size models of local and world-famous structures, and a real-life, heritage schoolhouse.

Northwest Territories

Amandine Falette-Galiussi

Amandine Falette-Galiussi

The Great Canadian North has no more secrets for this Frenchwoman who has made Yellowknife her new playground and enables the young children in her care to develop their confidence, motor skills and their respect for others and nature.

Ontario

Pauline McKay

Pauline McKay

Modelling positive cultural practices and healthy living, this educator help students and families connect to their Indigenous heritage—through dance, for example—while supporting children's cognitive and personal development.

Quebec

Nadia Chicoine

Nadia Chicoine

An educator with boundless energy and enthusiasm, even after 20 years in the profession, who knows how to use her vast experience to serve the children, their parents, the Centre and the community while remaining up-to-date with the latest trends and endlessly meeting new challenges.

Certificate of Achievement

Certificate of Achievement Recipients

Alberta

Jennifer Beaman

Jennifer-Jill Beaman

This scientist-turned-educator asks "what if" questions and explores the answers with the children, organizing hands-on activities so they can delve into their interests, while meeting learning objectives and developing new skills.

Tonya Lee Byrne

Tonya Lee Byrne

Believing that every child is a capable learner, this educator combines curriculum with children's interests; they learned about Africa by coding a BeeBot map, studying the animals there and playing in an African mud hut in the classroom.

Erin M. Pampu
Morgan Elizabeth Nadeau

Erin M. Pampu and Morgan Elizabeth Nadeau

Children, teachers and families learn from each other in the circle of education; teaching team embraces risky play and its benefits, while fostering children's skills, and emotional and social development.

British Columbia

Ruth Bancroft

Ruth Bancroft

A pioneer of inclusion in early childhood education, this veteran educator welcomes children with all types of special needs and opened her centre to a wider age group, all while providing countless opportunities for play-based learning.

Saaiqa Bhanji

Saaiqa Bhanji

Pushing past preconceived notions about what children can do, this educator engages in research projects and builds relationships with staff on campus so children have familiar, safe and interesting places to learn and play.

Nova Scotia

Jessica Rose Landry

Jessica Rose Landry

This facilitator of excellence ensures programming is inclusive, co-created with the children and gets them out into the world: learning about bridges led to a walk to see a local one, a unit on the environment took children to a farm.

Ontario

Kim Bradley

Kim Bradley

Land-based learning introduces children to traditional Indigenous produce and sacred medicinal plants, while they also participate in ceremonies conducted by elders and help in the local community, including cleaning up local trails.

Kevin Fowlow

Kevin Fowlow

This young educator creates emotional space for every child, while nurturing and nourishing young minds through open ended, play-based learning—sometimes on a pirate ship or at the Tim Hortons' drive-through he has created.

Quebec

Marie-Pier Leduc

Marie-Pier Leduc

A devoted and tuned-in educator, she is endlessly looking for new knowledge and skills to share, always enabling her children and colleagues to go further and develop their full potential.

Martine Rodrigue
Yvonne Lacoursière

Martine Rodrigue et Yvonne Lacoursière

A winning duo that thanks to their intimate knowledge of Indigenous culture, engagement and great caring, supports the children in their social, motor and psychological development while helping them and their parents create pride in their identity.

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