News

Prevention Symposim II: Youth Suicide Prevention, April 3, 2012

Building on the generative conversations that began in 2011 with the first symposium, “Critically Reflecting on Discourses of Prevention,” this one-day event was designed to bring multiple viewpoints together, with a more specific focus on youth suicide prevention practices and policies.

Researchers, students, educators, policy analysts, practitioners, and family members of a loved one’s suicide were invited to this symposium. By drawing on multiple perspectives and ways of knowing, and by calling into question some of the common assumptions that currently frame youth suicide prevention work, a invigorate the dialogue surrounding youth suicide prevention took place and the image below shows this in graphic detail. 

UNESCO Chair Renewal
Alan Pence
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Alan Pence’s appointment as holder of the UNESCO Chair in Early Childhood Education, Care and Development has been renewed for an additional four years. UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education, Qian Tang, noted: “I wish to commend Professor Alan Pence and his team for their valuable work and achievements in the field of early childhood education. It is particularly topical that the work is focused on the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children in sub-Saharan Africa. I hope that the Chair… will develop further teaching, training, research, publication, networking and coordination of multi and inter-disciplinary activities in the field of early childhood education through [the] Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU).” It should be noted that the ECDVU continues to work with the University of Ibadan in Nigeria in supporting their adoption of a one year Graduate Diploma program styled after the ECDVU program in International Child and Youth Care for Development. 

Congratulations to SCYC 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award winners!

Jennifer Charelsworth, BA ¹81, PhD ¹05 (Child and Youth Care)  was hired as an assistant in the SCYC First Nations Partnerships Program, where she developed the conceptual material and drafted the teaching and learning activities for a course on cross-cultural community development. She also reviewed, revised and edited several of the core courses offered as part of the First Nations Partnerships Program (a two year, community-based, culturally specific, CYC diploma program delivered in partnership with First Nations communities in Western Canada).  Jennifer has assumed leadership positions throughout the greater Victoria community and is a founding member of the advisory council for the School of Public Administration in the Master¹s of Community Development program.  Jennifer also serves on the Faculty of Human and Social Development advisory council. The university has benefited from her expertise and leadership among community groups across the province.

Sandrina de Finney, BA ¹00, PhD ¹07 (Child and Youth Care) Sandrina has provided outstanding leadership at UVic and her contributions have helped to make the First Nations Partnerships Program a flagship program for the university. She also provides extensive support and consultations to Indigenous communities conducting child welfare research. part of the FNPP team, Sandrina also joined Drs. Jessica Ball and Alan Pence in meetings with the Assembly of First Nations in Ottawa and presentations at the University of Montreal and other institutions for the purpose of exchanging knowledge gleaned from the UVic/CYC experience in community-based delivery and the successes realized through a community-university partnership approach to Aboriginal education.  Her contributions in this knowledge mobilization capacity helped to make the First Nations Partnerships Program a flagship program for UVic and a world renowned innovation in education that integrates Indigenous Knowledge (FNPP was identified by UNESCO as one of the top 10 programs in the world in this regard).

Congratulations to Scott Kouri, MA student, on receiving the Andy Farquharson Award for Graduate Teaching.

Kathy Harrison, Undergraduate Advisor, School of Child and Youth Care and Scott Kouri, MA student at the award reception.

Is Indigenous Research for Everyone? February 27, 2013 12 pm - 1:30 pm HSD A373

Congratulations to Dr. Jessica Ball on her award of the Perry Shawana Award given by the BC Aboriginal Child Care Society.  The award annually honours "an individual or group not directly involved in the ECE field but who through volunteerism, advocacy, research and policy has contributed to and advanced the notion of safe /nurturing communities and/or quality child care and early learning services for BC First Nations children and their families.”

Suicide-prevention expert Jennifer White says “romanticizing” a teen’s death by suicide may send the wrong message to vulnerable young people.

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