Spotlight

Melanie Castro Shibaoka

Capilano graduate Melanie Castro Shibaoka works at Brentwood Preschool and is a 2009 winner of the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education.

Melanie said:

“I always knew that my career would involve working with children. After hearing from a close friend of the positive experience she had at Capilano, I decided to apply for the ECCE program. I gained many things from taking this program, but, most importantly, I learned that teaching young children does not mean that an educator tells children what to do or shows them what is right or wrong. Rather, an educator is a part of the children’s learning process. An educator is someone who can offer meaningful opportunities that will allow children to discover what is important to them.

My favorite memory at Capilano was taking a course with Jen Moses called Interpersonal Skills. I was given an assignment that allowed me to explore who I was as a person. This helped me find out what was important to me as an educator: collaboration; relationships with children, peers, and families; and, being a part of a community.

I am lucky to be a part of a preschool that embraces and shares the same teaching beliefs as I do. At Brentwood Preschool, we believe that children, families, and teachers are a part of our learning community. We respect and understand that children have many questions about the world around them and how they fit into this world. Because of this, we have been exploring an inquiry-based emergent curriculum at our preschool. As educators, we recognize that when curriculum allows children to explore the things they are curious about, they are more engaged. Inquiry-based learning allows children to develop their own theories, be exposed to others’ ideas, and build new knowledge. One way that we support children to do this is by following a particular interest for a longer period of time so that the children, teachers, and families can deepen their understandings and reflect on this process of learning together.”

Lynn McBride

Lynn McBride graduated from the Capilano ECCE program in 2004. She is currently working as a Child Care Advisor at the BC Aboriginal Child Care Society (ACCS) in West Vancouver.  ACCS is the host agency for a provincial CCRR program for Aboriginal ECE and ECD professionals.

Lynn said:
"I chose to attend the Capilano ECCE program because of its excellent reputation, and I was very impressed with the calibre of the teachers and the curriculum.  One of the most important things I learned in the program was the importance of self-reflection and critical thinking in providing quality early learning experiences for young children.  I have many happy and cherished memories of my time in the Capilano ECCE program, especially of the many people I met: the instructors, my fellow students, the amazing staff, children and families at the Capilano Child Care Centre, and all the educators and children I encountered and learned from during my practicum experiences.

As a Child Care Advisor with the BC Aboriginal Child Care Society, I facilitate community-based education and training with early childhood educators and other ECD professionals.  I also provide support and resources to communities, and in that role, I consult and collaborate with people involved in Aboriginal early childhood education and development, including community leaders, Elders, parents, advocates, educators and other professionals in the ECE/ECD field.  My experience in the Capilano ECCE program helped me in my current role because it emphasized and explored the critical importance of building relationships and a sense of community with all the children, parents, educators and other people who are members of the early learning environment."