Details

First Name (for records, certificates, and system use)

Vicki

Last Name (for records, certificates, and system use)

Mackenzie-Denis

Your "Username" for Discussions

Vee

Bio

 

I acknowledge the unceded Ts’msyen Territory, and hosts from Kitsumkalum, Kitselas, Nisga’a and Haisla Nations on whose beautiful lands I learn, live and work. Through connection and dialogue, awareness of colonial practices, and building our cultural competence, we can begin the difficult work of reconciliation.

 

In my thirty plus years in the field of ECE, I have worked in New Brunswick, Quebec, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and British Columbia. As Director of Aakuluk Daycare in Nunavut, I successfully implemented the Inuktitut Language and Cultural Enhancement program. I immersed myself in Inuit culture, learning the language, eating traditional foods like muktuk (whale blubber) and tuktu (caribou), and participating as a guest to feasts, celebrations and elder presentations.  I ran my own a business, Pumpkinutters Daycare, in Vancouver and Burnaby for thirteen years after leaving the artic in search of warmer weather. Moving further north when it became unaffordable for our family to continue living in the lower mainland, I now make Terrace my home. I began working as an ECE instructor at Coast Mountain College, where I also work as the coordinator for the program. These positions led me to the most transformational project of my life as a community pedagogist with the ECPN. Through this work I am learning and beginning anew. I embrace (sometimes hesitantly) the difficulty of staying with trouble and having difficult conversations with the intention of living well together.

 

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time outdoors and exploring the spectacular northern half of this amazing province with my husband, two children and our pup George. I love a good kayak, searching for amazing waterfalls, harvesting fruit from my backyard, and taking a dip in any of the spectacular lakes in this area. You really should visit Terrace!

 

Our Land Acknowledgment​

The partners of The Hub respectfully honor the sovereignty of all Indigenous Nations, including their lands, waters, and skies. We recognize that these lands are sacred and acknowledge the deep and enduring relationships between Indigenous peoples and their territories, which have been disrupted by oppressive colonial systems.


We further acknowledge that the partners and participants of The Hub gather on the traditional, unceded, and unsurrendered lands of the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded these territories since time immemorial. These ancestral lands were taken without consent, and we recognize the injustices of this history.


In taking responsibility to honor these nations and their legacies, and with a commitment to forging a better path forward, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and wisdom of Indigenous communities—past, present, and future.

ECPN logo featuring green and blue concentric brushstroke circles.
Logo of CCRC Westcoast Family Centres with a purple and green diamond shape above the text.
Logo of Early Childhood Educators of BC with a green emblem above the text ECEBC early childhood educators of BC on a dark background.
Logo of Aboriginal ChildCare with an illustration of a parent holding a child. Four feathers are hanging below the image on the left.

Scenario-based learning allows learners to view situations from different perspectives, encouraging thoughtful reflection. Applying learning in a more practical way can help to build confidence and gives the learner the ability to transfer knowledge to real-life work. You will see how best practices might look in action, determine alternate strategies you could implement in these situations, and reflect on your own experiences as a care provider.

Your task is to take on the perspective of the provider within the scenario and determine:

  • What worked well?
  • What, if anything, could be done differently?

Remember, it is not the job of providers to diagnose children. Instead, we can do our best to create safe childcare ecosystems that promote social emotional well-being and support children and their diverse range of behaviours. This will be important to keep in mind while navigating the scenarios in Module 4.