Season 5, Episode 3: Kathreen Riel & Maryam Naddaf - BC Early Years Professional Development Bursary Program

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 3 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast! During this episode we explore the BC Early Years Professional Development Bursary Program—what it is, why it matters, and how it’s shaping educators' learning across the province of British Columbia, in Canada. Our guests are two impactful leaders—Kathreen Riel, who manages the bursary fund, and Maryam Naddaf, Director of Frog Hollow’s Reggio-Inspired Learning Centre.  Kathreen is a Community Engagement Consultant, currently managing the Federal‑Provincial ECE Professional Development Bursary Project through Westcoast Family Centres, working to ensure educators have access to ongoing high-quality professional learning, often with financial barriers removed. Before that she was instrumental in the development of the Early Years Professional Development Web Portal with BCcampus, helping to coordinate and promote training opportunities across the province. Her work has been focused on building capacity, relationships, and equity in early childhood education.Maryam is Director of the Reggio‑Inspired Learning Centre at Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House in Vancouver, where she worked for over 10 years. Her work is rooted in the Reggio Emilia philosophy—facilitating workshops, communities of practice, designs curriculum with educators, children, and families, and leads study groups for educators across Metro Vancouver and beyond. Her passion lies in social justice, children’s rights, and creating reflective, inquiry-based learning environments, which led her to a B.A. in Community Rehabilitation Management and many years of working with infants, children, youth and adults with diverse abilities.If you are interested on attending a shorter version of the ELF series as Maryam talks about on this episode, register for ELF Off the Shelf, a dynamic series designed to bring the BC Early Learning Framework (BCELF) to life. Instead of just reading the ELF, participants will engage in active reflection, critical dialogue, and hands-on exercises to explore key concepts like the image of the child, educator roles, and pedagogical narration.Session Dates:In-person: March 7, 2026 (9:30 AM – 3:30 PM)Virtual: March 31, April 14, May 7 (6:30 PM – 8:00 PM)In-person & Frog Hollow Tour: May 29, 2026 (8:30 AM – 5:30 PM)Location (for in-person sessions): Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre, 2772 E. Broadway, Vancouver, BC., and at Frog Hollow's Learning Centre.Who Should Attend: ECEs, ECEAs, school-age care educators, elementary teachers, Strong Start facilitators, district principals, Supported Child Development staff, and all early learning professionals.Space is limited so register today here: https://www.wstcoast.org/workshops/elf-shelf-4810-8100 Questions? Email: [email protected] through the Canada–BC Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.Listen now at BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast Season 5, Episode 3: Kathreen Riel and Maryam Naddaf or wherever you get your podcasts.