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MERRITT HERALD FREE
TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 2014 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS
New bursary for early childhood educators By Michael Potestio THE HERALD
reporter@merrittherald.com
FEAST YOUR EYES ON THIS About 150 people attended the Métis potluck at the cadets hall on Friday evening. In addition to a huge spread of food prepared by members of Merritt’s Métis community, the event included a performance by the Métis jigging troupe, games for children, door prizes and plenty of community spirit. Emily Wessel/Herald
Students enrolling or enrolled in the early childhood education program (ECE) at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology or any of the other 33 programs like it across B.C. are getting new support from the province. On April 23, Minister of Children and Family Development Stephanie Cadieux was at NVIT to announce the provincial government is investing $513,000 to boost the number of early childhood educators in B.C. The funds will go to the Early Childhood Educators of BC, the province’s professional association, to establish a bursary for ECE program students and applicants. The bursary will allow students to apply for up to $300 per course to a maximum of $1,500 per semester. “We’re committed to increasing the number of qualified early childhood educators throughout the province,” Cadieux said at Wednesday’s announcement, noting that since 2007, the government has provided about $1.5 million to 1,300 students in ECE programs in B.C. through bursaries. The bursary will give preference to aboriginal students, students attend-
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ing an ECE program with an aboriginal focus and students working to achieve an infant/toddler education designation. “It’s because we recognize that there is a special need for aboriginal early childhood educators that priority will be given to aboriginal students and students attending ECE programs with an aboriginal focus, much like the programs that are offered here at NVIT,” Cadieux said. “This will help us achieve our vision of aboriginal children staying connected to their culture and traditions,” she said. Denyse Oswald-Finch, department head for NVIT’s aboriginal early childhood education program, said many of their first-year students find work in their field between years and don’t return to school, making this bursary helpful to secondyear students. “It’ll help a lot of the second-year students stay and actually finish the second year,” she said. “I think that bursary will keep a lot students carrying on their education and finishing the two years,” Oswald-Finch said. This year, NVIT had eight second-year students in its ECE program.
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