Faculty Profiles

Education & Credentials:

• Masters of Elementary Education (Early Learning Cohort), University of Alberta
• Early Learning and Child Care Certificate, Mount Royal University
• Intervenor for Deafblind Persons, Medicine Hat College
• Bachelor of Science, University of Manitoba

Began teaching at MHC: 2021

Jennifer has a wealth of experience and knowledge in the early learning field. She was the coordinator of the Medicine Hat & District Child Care Association for 13 years. She helped found the Medicine Hat Early Childhood Coalition, using research to respond to the needs of young children in our city. These experiences allowed Jennifer to build relationships with many of the key stakeholders that work with and support children and families in Southeast Alberta and across the province. She continues to work closely with the City of Medicine Hat as a part of the Medicine Hat Free Play initiative.

 

When Flight: Alberta's Early Learning and Care Framework was piloted, Jennifer participated as a pedagogical partner alongside program administrators and educators. A few years later, she went on to instruct at McEwan University for the Exploring Early Childhood Curriculum Course, a course that early childhood educators take to build their foundational knowledge in the Flight framework. 

 

Here at Medicine Hat College, Jennifer enjoys getting to know her students and building on their strengths. Teaching in the early learning and child care program allows Jennifer to demonstrate play-based learning in action to her students. Through hands-on, experiential learning, students delve into theory in practical ways, including through experiences with young children during class time. 

 

For two years, she was part of a pan-Canadian Early Childhood Education Faculty Outdoor Pedagogy Research Project. This inspired her to cultivate outdoor pedagogy in her teaching. By connecting and reconnecting students to nature and the outdoors, Jennifer hopes early childhood educators who graduate from our program will feel competent and capable to take children outside more often for play, inquiry and exploration. 

 

During her personal time, Jennifer and her family enjoy bike rides, going for walks, and both city and beach vacations together. It is her honour to teach and learn alongside her colleagues and students at Medicine Hat College.