Getting in Front of What’s Ahead in Community: Aboriginal Head Start in ECE Workplace
Logo created by Adele Sinclair, ECE Workplace. The image was used in a variety of ways, including in instructor-led presentations about the cohort and program, as the icon for the general Teams channel, and on invitations to the celebration evening held in December.
In January 2023, a bold and innovative journey began – one that has the potential to reshape how Early Childhood Education (ECE) Workplace training is delivered in First Nations communities across Manitoba.
The Aboriginal Head Start program, funded by Cree Nation Tribal Health and the First Nations Inuit Health Branch, was designed to provide First Nations students a fully online, workplace-based learning model tailored to their needs. What started with a cohort of 29 students soon evolved into something much more than an academic program – it became a transformative experience rooted in culture, connection, and compassion.
Following the standard ECE Workplace model, students would work at their jobs Monday through Wednesday to accumulate practicum hours, then they attended virtual classes on Thursdays and Fridays. From day one, though, it was clear that this cohort would be anything but standard.
Tanya Redford and Nettie Proulx, with an additional instructor each term, approached teaching with flexibility, empathy, and responsiveness. Although neither is Indigenous, both approached their roles with cultural humility and a commitment to walk alongside students in a spirit of respect and reciprocity. Elders were invited into virtual classrooms, Indigenous Teachings, perspective and ways of knowing were welcomed and embedded into the program, and learning extended beyond the students to include their families and communities.
For many students, their homes functioned as their classrooms – they learned in spaces they shared with children, partners, and relatives. One student even fed and cared for a newborn during class.
Redford noted the emotional challenges students faced: “In a typical classroom, maybe one or two students are going through life-changing events. In this cohort, everyone was going through something, often multiple things that compounded one another. And yet – they showed up. They succeeded.”
Sharon Hart from Fisher River Cree Nation says that what she learned in the program were things that she was already practicing in her career at the Fisher River Daycare Centre. She had cultivated skills in play and supporting children’s sensory and motor development through her career, and the program equipped her with tools to deepen her knowledge in play-based curriculum, guidance, relationships, and current child development research.
Hart says that learning online alongside other Indigenous students from different communities in similar circumstances created an environment in which everyone helped each other.
“We would talk about different situations, what’s going on in our centres, and give each other pointers and advice – we were able to address different things in our centres based on the experiences of other people in the class to see what solutions worked better than others,” said Hart.
Redford and Proulx were always conscious of ways to help students succeed. They recorded classes for those that couldn’t attend live, used feedback tools like surveys and informal discussions to shape curriculum delivery, established drop-in homework sessions in the evenings, and permitted students to resubmit assignments.
While some students were tech-savvy, others had never touched a laptop. At times, frustration with technology nearly led some to leave the program but with peer and instructor support, they adapted and persevered. Growth wasn’t just academic – it was personal, practical, and powerful, and students demonstrated that when they strived for excellence. Even students who earned 96% would resubmit assignments, aiming for 100% not for the grade, but for themselves.
Each term, the instructors hosted in-person gatherings at RRC Polytech’s Notre Dame and Exchange District Campuses. Students, families, and College leaders came together to share food, stories, and community. For those unable to attend, technology like OWL ensured remote participation.
By the program’s conclusion in December 2024, 15 students had completed their training. Twelve are preparing to walk the stage at Convocation in June and were honored in the graduation Pow Wow in May. A final celebration was held at Notre Dame Campus where students and instructors celebrated their achievements alongside College leaders, family members, and even Manitoba’s Minister of Advanced Education and Training, Renée Cable. Students who didn’t complete the program came to celebrate with their peers, underscoring the deep sense of community built throughout the program.
Thanks to the program’s success, a second, expanded cohort launched in 2025. The response was overwhelming with over 60 students from 25 different communities – just over double from the first cohort.
The door remains open for those who left the program early. Students who didn’t finish the first time are welcomed to rejoin in a later term and pick up where they left off. That commitment – to meet students where they are, in the places where the students are needed – is central to this program.
Hart says that since completing the program, she’s been promoted to full-time floor supervisor at the Fisher River Daycare Centre. She’s looking forward to the new centre opening in the community in the fall and she wants to get her Early Childhood Educator Level III.
“My proudest moment was when I got my marks back for an academic paper on child development. It’s been years since I’ve been in school, and I’d never written a paper before – I got tutoring and learned how to do research and cite sources. I aced it,” said Hart.
“If I had to go in person to Winnipeg, I think I would have had a harder time. I actually miss coming to class online now.”
This program is more than a model – it’s a movement toward equitable, culturally responsive education. It’s a demonstration of intergenerational learning and adapts to students’ lives. It recognizes that success looks different for everyone. And it proves that when we prioritize connection and compassion, incredible things happen.
“We have been able to implement a strengths-based approach to our program, and we are very thankful that our department (chairs, associate dean and dean) and the College have supported us in meeting the needs of each individual student. This may have been extending a due date, not taking marks off for a late assignment, or allowing students to submit assignments in ways that best support their way of demonstrating their learning and knowledge,” said Proulx.
About the Early Childhood Education Workplace Program
This program is specifically designed for experienced child care assistants (CCAs) working in licensed childcare programs across Manitoba.
Early Childhood Education Workplace is an accelerated program that provides the specialized training and credentials needed become an early childhood educator (ECE) Level II, enhance employment potential and achieve career goals while working.
