Teacher to lecture on peer mentoring program to help ECE – Kamloops News

Photo: TRU

Dr. Laura Doan

Half of BC’s early childhood educators leave the field within their first five years — a statistic Thompson Rivers University professor Dr. Laura Doan is trying to change.

Doan was recently promoted to full professor in TRU’s school of education, and to mark the occasion, she will be featured in a provincial peer mentoring program she created.

According to a press release from TRU, the program provides peer mentoring to new and experienced BC ECEs

Based on TRU, the pilot included 200 ECEs in 17 communities and has since grown to 320 ECEs and 42 units in 31 communities.

“Early educators are vital to children, families and communities,” said Doan.

“It’s just not sustainable to have so many people leaving the workforce before their careers have really started.”

Doan will present his program at TRU’s inaugural professional lecture.

“The program continues to be a success today and is firmly embedded in the ECEBC, the professional association representing ECE in BC,” TRU said in a news release.

Kamloops branch of ECEBC sent a letter to the ministry last month, advocating for measures to ensure better qualified childcare staff.

The lecture will take place at the Scratch Café in the Culinary Arts Center on the TRU campus and is open to the public. The lecture will take place from 16:30 to 18:00 on November 19.

Those who plan to attend are asked to do so RSVP online until November 17.

TRU said the lecture series is meant to celebrate the achievements of academics and serves as a way for the public to meet new faculty and learn about scholarship, research and teaching.