Page 14 - 2022 Feb Report

February Report 2022
A Martin Family Initiative
Johnson Scholarship Foundation 505 S Flagler Dr #810
West Palm Beach
FL 33401, United States
2021 Funding Report
Dear Johnson Scholarship Foundation Board,
On behalf of the Early Years team and the Martin Family Initiative (MFI), we would like to thank you for your generous contribution to our work over the last year. As you know, the overarching mission of the Early Years is to provide community-based, relationship-driven supports for early learning caregivers, parents and families that enhance Indigenous children’s language development and overall school readiness; provide play-based learning opportunities for children; enrich children’s pride in identity and culture; and strengthen parenting capacity to ensure young children are raised to be happy, healthy and ready to learn.
The Understanding the Early Years (EY-1) training course is a critical element of the Early Years program. EY-1 is a culturally-based, 45-hour introductory course that equips Indigenous professionals working with children and families with a strong understanding of early childhood development, from conception through to school entry that they can meaningfully apply to their work. The course weaves together scientific evidence about early childhood development and the knowledge, traditions and culture specific to the lives, experiences and communities of learners.
Thanks to the generous support of the Johnson Scholarship Foundation, over the past year we have been able to successfully coordinate the design, development, implementation and evaluation of the EY-1 online course. Our rationale for creating this online delivery option was to allow for more flexibility related to the length of course delivery and location of students and instructors, particularly when travel is restricted or limited as it has been over the past two years. The online EY-1 course goes beyond a traditional e-learning environment to meet a variety of learning styles and educational backgrounds. It consists of media-rich modules that centralize Indigenous knowledge, and include videography of Elders, Knowledge Keepers and parents/ caregivers from multiple communities, as well as interactive elements such as discussion forums, virtual journal reflection activities and interactive assessments. In 2021, more than 30 learners completed the course, from seven different Indigenous communities. In 2022, we expect that more than 75 new learners will take the course, from nine additional Indigenous communities.
The attached report provides an overview of the four goals we set out to achieve while developing an online version of EY-1 for multiple communities and contexts. It also outlines our vision for how the course can be further adapted and delivered for an even larger and more diverse audience in the years to come.
We again extend a warm thank you to the Johnson Scholarship Foundation for your part in making this vision a reality. We are very excited to continue our work supporting Indigenous early learning professionals, children and families through innovative, culturally adapted and accessible training.
Sincerely yours,
Chloe Ferguson Director, the Early Years
Martin Family Initiative report (2) The Early Years
info@themfi.ca T: 514-982-3911 759 Victoria Square, Suite 300/Bureau 300 Montréal, QC H2Y 2J7
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