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An anonymous donation to Thompson Rivers University totalling $1.4 million will go toward helping to keep qualified early childhood educators from leaving the profession.
TRU announced the donation on Monday. The money is expected to provide funding for three years of expanded peer mentoring for those in the early childhood education field.
The donation provides $1.4 million over three years to expand the peer mentoring program TRU Prof. Laura Doan started in 2018 as a pilot project in Kamloops, TRU said.
Doan’s program, which grew to include 17 peer-mentoring groups across B.C., ended in 2020.
“We are pleased to see recognition of the need for supports for early childhood educators, especially finding a way where they can help each other to build their resiliency and retain them in the profession,” Emily Gawlick, executive director of Early Childhood Educators of B.C., said in a TRU news release.
“This project is finding a way to improve retention of early childhood educators as well as raising the bar for all of them professionally as they share their experiences and learning.”
Doan said she hopes the funding will make peer mentoring a foundational part of B.C.’s early childhood education landscape.
“This experience demonstrates what is possible when we support early childhood educators in the way they should be supported,” she said.
“This shows me what can work when you give ECEs the opportunity to come together to support each other. They are able to come up with their own solutions.”
Will Garrett-Petts, TRU’s associate vice-president for research and graduate studies, said Doan’s peer-mentoring program was good for educators and kids.
“The peer-mentoring network she has established mobilizes leading edge theory and practice, making a positive difference for early childhood educators and, as a result, improves the quality of care and education that children receive,” he said.
“The generous funding announced today will expand that network and increase its impacts.”
