The Institute for Early Childhood Education & Research (IECER):

• Actively engages communities, professionals, students, and researchers, whose interests focus on children from birth to 8 years of age, in dialogue about early childhood issues.
• Promotes quality in young children's learning, early childhood teacher education, early childhood research, and early childhood policy.
• Builds bridges between early childhood research and practice.

ECE IN THE NEWS

UBC study on early vulnerability highlighted in Vancouver Metro. The full report can be accessed here.

" Government will place early learning and early-childhood development at the forefront of efforts to improve our education services.
Neighbourhood learning centres will become the focus of intensive activities with city councils, library boards, recreation commissions, parents and professionals. Government will work to establish educational and preschool opportunities in the midst of the neighbourhoods where our families live. Together, we can work to centre neighbourhoods and communities on the needs of our families, their children's education and the environment.
Full-time, five-year-old kindergarten will begin to be delivered in schools throughout British Columbia in September of 2010." - British Columbia Speech from the Throne, August 25, 2009, Page 18.

Report from the BC Early Childhood Learning Agency

Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School (Edward Miller & Joan Alman, 2009, from the Canadian Childcare Resource and Research Unit) kindergarten-report.pdf

Note: Please be advised that despite the recent cuts of the provincial advisors positions in the Infant Development and Supported Child Development community agencies, the UBC Institute for Early Childhood Eduction and Research will continue to administer the IDSC Certificate and Diploma programs for IDSC consultants. The Certificate and Diploma courses are ongoing and registration to the IDSC Certificate and Diploma program is open.

Admission 2010: Online Application for the Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Education (MEd) Graduate Programs is now open. The Deadline for application is February 1, 2010.
Additional application information:
     •  program requirements
     •  additional supporting documents
     •  English language proficiency

NEW Programs

To meet the increased need for post-basic training and professional development for early childhood educators for early learning centres and full-day Kindergarten commencing September 2010, IECER is offering:

1. Off-campus MEd cohort


• MEd. cohort in New Westminster starts May 2010.


2. Two certificate programs


• Enhancing Early Learning Certificate (15 credits) starts September 2009.


• Kindergarten Instruction Certificate (15 credits) starts September 2009.


3. Three new on-line courses


• ECED 406 (3) Early Learning Curriculum in the Pre-School Years (January 2010)
• ECED 407 (3) Supporting Early Learning in the Pre-School Years (May 2010)
• ECED 416 (3) Kindergarten Curriculum (September 2009)

IECER Winter 2009

1. Undergraduate Courses
2. Graduate Courses

Scholarship in Early Childhood: The deadline for the 2009-2010 Wendy K. Sutton Graduate Scholarship In Early Childhood Literacy is Wednesday, December 23, 2009, 4:00pm . More information on this award

Career Opportunities: Assistant Professor of Education, Early Childhood Education at the Moravian College, Education Department.