Canada Govt initiative supports innovative practices in ECEC

The Government of Canada has confirmed that three early childhood education and care (ECEC) innovation projects located in Vancouver will receive nearly $470,000 in funding to support their completion. 

The three projects being funded are:

• Indigenous ways of knowing in early childhood education language and literacy training by Langara College. 

• Go play outside! Risk reframing tool for early learning and child care by the University of British Columbia. 

• Transforming Early Childhood Education through Music by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music Society.

Each project will have defined objectives designed to maximise outcomes and yield insights into how ECEC curricula and delivery can be enhanced.

The first project will seek to enhance ECEC curricula by embedding specific Musqueam content within it and including Indigenous practices into the professional development of early childhood educators. Musqueam is a first nation community from British Columbia, Canada. 

The second project will develop and test an ECEC risk reframing tool that will be designed to address issues, needs and challenges around encouraging risky play. 

Project three will offer accessible professional development training for ECEC educators to deliver music education and will also produce a support toolkit.

These projects were the result of a call for concepts issued by the Government of Canada as they strive to find new and innovative ways to improve ECEC service delivery and will be funded by a C$100m commitment over 11 years. 

Commenting on the initiatives The Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of Defence and Member of Parliament for Vancouver said “The skills children develop as part of their early learning experiences are critical to their success. Partnerships—like the ones we’ve forged with Langara College, the University of British Columbia and the VSO School of Music—will help ensure more children have the bright future they deserve.”

For more information on Canada’s approach to ECEC please click here.