Early Childhood Education and Care

News Stories

Man with baby in forest

Transforming Early Childhood Education in Canada

June 19, 2024

For too long, early childhood education in Canada has favoured indoor learning environments over the outdoors and lacked recognition of Indigenous Land-based approaches. Danielle Alphonse, VIU’s BC Regional Innovation Chair in Aboriginal Early Childhood Development, and Sheila Grieve, VIU Early Childhood Education and Care Professor, were part of a national working group aimed at changing this.... Read more


Terri Doughty, a VIU English Professor, smiles while standing in front of a rhododendron plant.

VIU hosts conference on the environment and young people’s literature and culture

June 1, 2022

The Assembling Common Worlds conference, held at VIU’s Nanaimo campus from June 10 to 12, will explore concepts of the human relationship with nature in youth culture. Vancouver Island University (VIU) is hosting a conference from June 10 to 12 that will help broaden the understanding of environmental knowledge and issues in young people’s literature and culture. The conference – Assembling... Read more


Kholoud sits behind the sandbox in her preschool

Alum of the Month: Kholoud Madi

May 21, 2022

A desire to contribute to the community in a meaningful way and make a difference in the lives of local children motivated Kholoud Madi, a VIU Early Childhood Education and Care program graduate, to open her own preschool in Nanaimo. Elm Preschool is a full-day preschool program for children aged two and a half to five. We caught up with Madi to learn more about her new venture, and how VIU... Read more


Early Childhood Pedagogy Network announcement

New teaching network a win for ECEs, quality child care

February 3, 2020

Vancouver Island University (VIU) has received funding for two pedagogist positions to work with early childhood educators at select child care centres in Nanaimo and Cowichan, as well as students in the University's Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) program.  "Thank you to the Ministry of Children and Family Development for funding this important initiative to introduce the new role of... Read more


VIU ECEC Alum Summer Lin opens her own daycare and helps inspire future ECEC workers

VIU’s Early Child Education and Care Program Doubles Seats for 2019

February 19, 2019

To meet the high demand for jobs, VIU is doubling its capacity for Early Child Education and Care program for the September 2019 intake. Students can receive up to $4,000 per semester for their studies in the ECEC program. Working with children has always been a passion for Summer Lin.  “I worked as an ESL teacher for eight years in Taiwan. When we moved to Canada, I knew I wanted to pursue a... Read more