1. Advocacy The High cost of Higher Education & The need for bursary/scholarship opportunities for E.C.E Students

2. TODAY’S AGENDA Introduction to the cause – Why is it a problem? How this cause impacts our profession & the future of Early Childhood Education – The global connection! Questions concerning the cause Our research The actions taken to gain support for the cause Who became involved in the cause & what has changed as a result Video/ Game! Questions?

3. Introduction to the ‘Cause’ Our group discovered the following issue was taking place at Centennial College: Currently Centennial College has very little to no financial support in the form of bursaries/scholarships specifically allocated for students studying Early Childhood Education. Why is this a problem? The problem with the serious lack of financial support for these students is simply that once they have graduated, many students will not find a large enough salary to supplement the expenses they have expended during their two year diploma program. This often leads to ‘burnout’ for underpaid E.C.E staff and can even lead to poor quality care for children. This serious lack of financial support can also leave student in particular field of study feeling as unappreciated within the college environment as they often our in society.

4. Connection to our Profession Our philosophy: Our group came to the simple conclusion that students who have chosen to study early childhood education who graduate with any debt load or a need to recover financially from their training are less likely to to pursue further studies (degrees, specialized training, etc) and to truly enjoy the career path they have chosen for themselves. This is largely due to the fact that the majority of social/community services are underpaid within our society.It is job the of the college to motivate individuals who chose such selfless work as the education of young children with incentives such as bursaries/scholarships (provided by donors of any kind) to prevent cynicism and doubt within our profession.

5. The Connection Continued… How might bursaries/scholarships create a difference for E.C.E Students? Awards for students enrolled in E.C.E could helped to motivate students & increase moral within the program. Financial aid (that does not carry interest) may offer a source of stress relief for students struggling with the cost of their education. The idea that early childhood education is a valued profession that deserves recognition in Canadian society will likely be reinforced by the addition of such awards for the program. In order to create passionate and motivated advocates for the field, the college must support students and recognize their abilities instead of only awarded student’s entering the program from high school or with bursaries available to every student, i.e. book bursary.

6. The Global Connection What is the global impact of THIS cause?/ Is there one? YES! The more that Canada and it’s educational institutions can exhibit support/respect for the profession of early childhood education, other sectors of society will likely follow suit. If Centennial students are given the encouragement and appropriate support (Financial/otherwise) prior to entering the field as professionals, there is a better chance of them pursuing international opportunities that compliment Centennial College’s signature learning experience of GNED500. Happier education professionals who feel appreciated will naturally become stronger advocates for early learning opportunities at home & beyond their own borders.

7. Research Questions What did we need to consider for this Cause? Who will benefit from the possibility of newly created awards? What aid is currently available to the students of early childhood education at Centennial College? Who is eligible for existing non-specific financial awards& where are the majority of specific awards delegated to? –Who controls this distribution? What do other Ontario Colleges have to offer E.C.E students? What is the average debt load/superfluous financial burden for students studying early childhood education? Who do we contact/who are potential donors of financial awards?

8. The Investigation Process…How we found out the Facts & found our Stakeholder We researched 8 different colleges in Ontario (Including Centennial College) & compared their tuition and the number of awards/bursaries available to students studying E.C.E. We contacted Sue Wells to ask if there would be a replacement award for next year’s Student’s Award Night 2011 to fill the hole left by the Lynn Coombs award of $500. We surveyed E.C.E students in order to assess financial needs/ desire or awards & bursaries. We spoke with several possible stakeholders about the possibility of becoming financial donors for awards granted to E.C.E students. We also spoke with many students about their opinions on the matter.

9. What we Discovered…

10. What we Discovered… According to our Program Chair, Sue Wells… When Asked: “Will there be an award to replace the Ernie & Lynne Coombs award at Awards Night 2011?” She said: “At this time, there is not a new award set in place for Awards Night 2011.”

11. What we Discovered… The Distribution of Awards/Bursaries at Centennial College We broke down the financial and non-financial awards distributed throughout the College by various donors into the following categories: Awards Night: 153 in Total 2 out of 153 awards presented at Awards Night is delegated specifically to E.C.E Students at Centennial College. 1 of these 2 awards, no longer exists & there are no immediate plans to replace it. Convocation Awards: 9 in Total Although there is one award for our school of study at convocation, there is currently no award specifically granted to an E.C.E student at Centennial College. *Please Note that we are aware of the newly created E.C.E recognition award – It is NOT financial* *All award information was taken from 2010 Awards Night Program**

12. Distribution of Awards To narrow These Numbers down, we decided to find out how the 22 School of Community & Health studies awards granted on Award’s Night go to each Program in the school: Child Studies: 3: Community Studies: 3 Health & Wellness: 10 Nursing: 6 *All information taken from Awards Night 2010**

13. How we Took Action! What we decided to do based on the information we were able to gather through various means. Our group decided that after a long search for possible donors to our cause, that we (the E.C.E Students) might be the best source for fund-raising initiatives. Upon this decision, we decided to speak with first year E.C.E classes in order to assess the level of interest that would be present in this cause once we graduate. We are right NOW in the process of submitting a formal application for the formation of a certified Centennial College. This Club would consist of the 25 E.C.E Students (8 exec) E.C.E students who would continue fundraising for a student generated award/scholarship for E.C.E students next fall.

14. Evidence of ACTION…

15. Evidence Continued… According the to survey that our group created, distributed and collected on April 6th2011: The overwhelming Majority of the E.C.E students surveyed said the following: They would benefit from the creation of a new award, bursary and or scholarship directed toward our program. If they have taken out a loan it will take at least 3 years to pay the loan off, working as an E.C.E in Ontario. If a new form of financial aid was introduced for E.C.E students, they would have less stress when it comes to paying for their education.

16. RESULTS! We have gathered the support and commitment from 25 first year Centennial College early childhood education students who will work to form a club that is recognized by CCSAI (Student Alliance). When the club is formed, they will receive $500.00 toward the fund! We effectively raised $175.00 at our bake sale to be put toward the student award fund that is being raised by the club. Throughout the bake sale, we raised awareness among other departments of the college about the lack of financial aid specifically allocated for E.C.E students.

17. The Club Members

18. Our Advocacy Journey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLbu4WBAgBs Please Enjoy our Short Animoto!

19. THANK YOU!! You have been a Spectacular Audience today  感谢您的收看 je vous remercie pour regarder आप देख के लिए धन्यवाद شكرا للمشاهدة

20. WORKS CITED The following websites have all been consulted throughout the creation of this advocacy project. http://www.centennialcollege.ca/scholarships http://www.durhamcollege.ca/EN/main/financial_info/scholarships_bursaries.php http://www.senecac.on.ca/students/index.html http://www.algonquincollege.com/financialaid/scholarships_health_comm_studies.html http://www.sheridaninstitute.ca/services/student%20support%20services/fees%20and%20financial%20aid/academic%20awards%20and%20scholarships.aspx http://www.georgebrown.ca/Marketing/FTCal-Jan/financial.aspx#maincontent http://www.fanshawec.ca/EN/money/default.asp

21. WORKS CITED All Photos & or clipart was borrowed from the following: http://www.veer.com/ http://www.morguefile.com/ **All original photos & video were obtained by Brandi Berylene Reader.

22. How Active is your Listening? 1. How many awards are there at Awards Night for E.C.E students currently?

23. How Active is your Listening? 2. How many first years have signed up for the E.C.E club?

24. How Active is your Listening? 3. What is the second most expensive college for E.C.E in Ontario that we spoke about?

25. How Active is your Listening? 4.How much money was raised at the bake sale on April 6th?

26. How Active is your Listening? 5. How long did the average CC student say it would take to pay off their loan?

27. How Active is your Listening? 6. How does more funding for E.C.E students relate to the global community?

28. THANK YOU FOR PLAYING! Enjoy Your Prizes!! 