Investing In Professional Development for Child Care Professionals
Continuation of The ECE Professional Development Bursary Fund
On February 18, 2022, the ECE Professional Development Bursary Fund (Bursary Fund) was relaunched to financially support child care professionals with their ongoing professional development in British Columbia. This initiative is funded through the Canada-British Columbia Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia, in partnership with the Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre (WCCRC), the agency responsible for administering the funds.
“It has been an honour and a privilege to implement the ECE Professional Development Bursary Fund Project. We are continually inspired by the commitment and passion of Early Childhood Educators and early childhood caregivers to invest in their professional learning. We are excited to launch the next phase of this project to support feasible access to professional learning.” Pam Preston, Executive Director, Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre
The three objectives of this Bursary Fund are to:
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To build capacity in the field by reducing the financial barriers for early child care professionals in accessing high-quality training opportunities.
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To improve access to training for child care professionals who identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
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To increase access to training for child care professionals living in rural and remote communities.
The first phase of the Bursary Fund project was implemented from September 2019 to March 2021.
Educators throughout B.C. received financial support to continue their professional learning:
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3396 educators from 1031 locations in B.C. received bursary funds.
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920 of those educators lived in rural or remote regions of B.C.
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386 educators identified as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
Feedback from bursary recipients revealed that financial support for continuous learning significantly impacts educators both personally and professionally.
“In my 25 years of experience, I have never felt more supported and encouraged to develop my profession in a meaningful way. I cannot express my gratitude enough for these funding opportunities. This is where change happens and it is amazing!” Bursary Recipient
Phase 2 of the Bursary Fund project will continue until March 2024. Funds will be distributed to non-profit charitable organizations to support professional development experiences for educators in their community.
For more information contact admin@eceprodbursary.org
