Collège Boréal launches a research project on Franco-Ontarian identity building
Designed by the Association francophone à l’éducation des services à l’enfance de l’Ontario (AFÉSEO – Francophone association for early childhood education), the training model aims to bolster Francophone early childhood educators’ capacity to transmit language, culture and Franco-Ontarian cultural identity. The research project will evaluate the training model, under the direction of Collège Boréal’s Centre d’innovation sociale pour l’enfant et la famille (CISEF – Child and family social innovation centre).
By providing early childhood educators with tools to support identity building, transmit culture and welcome Anglophone parents from mixed-language families, the project aims to evaluate the impact of the FrancoFUN training program on professional practices in early childhood education.
“Identity building is vital, because studies show that it is a key mechanism to ensure the vitality of minority-language communities and prepare young children to be educated in French when they enter elementary school,” says Josée Latulippe, manager of the CISEF.
“It’s especially important because demographic trends in our province tend to lower the proportion of Francophones, even in communities where the number of Francophone households is holding steady. Access to high quality French-language services, including early childhood education, and the parents’ will and ability to transmit cultural identity to their children are crucial for the future of Ontario’s Francophone community. Our project will provide early childhood educators and other professionals with tools they can use to support families to that end,” says Ms. Latulippe.
This project is supported by Recherche et Innovation Boréal, the college’s applied research centre, and funded by a $238,560 grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
About
Established in 1995, Collège Boréal is a French language post-secondary training and learning institution dedicated to the development and growth of communities throughout Ontario.
Collège Boréal offers comprehensive programs and services in seven campuses and 38 sites located in 26 communities throughout the province. Since 1995, approximately 120,000 clients across Ontario have benefited from Collège Boréal’s expertise relating to post-secondary education, training programs, immigration and settlement services, and employment services. Collège Boréal has established over 120 articulation agreements with other post-secondary institutions.
According to the Key Performance Indicators recognized by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Collège Boréal holds the top rank in two of the five areas surveyed: graduation rate, and, for a fourth consecutive year, student satisfaction. These results are proof that investing in human capital is Boréal’s strength.
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The Association francophone à l’éducation des services à l’enfance de l’Ontario (AFÉSEO) is the Francophone provincial organization that represents early childhood education in Ontario. Through its leadership centres and support services, the association upholds the interests of early childhood educators and provides tools to individuals, organizations and institutions in the early childhood education sector
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To find out more about Collège Boréal’s programs and services, please visit our website at www.collegeboreal.ca or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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