Project tackles urgent shortage of early childhood educators in rural areas

When it comes to research, sometimes the ultimate laboratory isn’t in a university building — it’s out in the community. That’s what Providence Sindihebura, a graduate of the Master of Public Health program, discovered when she did a 13-week practicum in the Town of Drayton Valley, Alta., as part of the Community- University Partnership (CUP) for the Study of Children, Youth, and Families. 

Sindihebura’s goal was immediate and critical: tackle the town’s — and province’s — urgent shortage of early childhood educators by strengthening the sector’s workforce. Sindihebura worked alongside an interdisciplinary team, including the town’s municipal government and early learning and child care program, and a community organization called the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Alberta, to examine the early childhood education sector through multiple lenses and establish it as foundational to community well-being. 

“This placement provided me with a hands-on opportunity to apply theoretical concepts from community-based research and program development in a real-world setting,” Sindihebura says.

The process demanded genuine engagement as well as data collection, she adds. She and the team completed consultations in the form of informal interviews and facilitated discussions in addition to analyzing government strategies and workforce reports, and comparing existing mentorship and training programs across Alberta. 

“Building trust and cultivating intentional relationships with all partners created a shared understanding of challenges and fostered innovative ideas that directly benefited the community’s well-being.” 

Sindihebura’s project, Bridging the Gap: A Scalable Mentorship and Tuition Support Model to Strengthen Alberta’s Early Learning and Child Care Workforce, prioritized the voices that matter most — the workers, educators and families — to shape social programs. Funded by the Future Skills Centre, she and the team addressed components such as mentorship pathways and funding models, and helped set priorities and the plans to meet them. This complex work requires a strategic mindset, she says, especially given current funding challenges in the sector. 

“I learned that addressing complex community issues requires flexibility, collaboration and early engagement with those involved,” says Sindihebura. 

The project is now co-creating evidence-based, sustainable solutions. One possible solution is a dual-stream mentorship program that sees high school-aged students placed in paid and credited early learning and child care (ELCC) placements, and connects early childhood educators working toward certification to peer mentorship. 

Another idea is to create an ongoing, cross-sector collaboration that integrates school boards, post-secondary institutions, ELCC operators, ELCC organizations and youth employment organizations. The team is also preparing a proposal to the provincial Ministry of Education on how to strengthen the early childhood education workforce. 

“Investing in training and professional development is not only a workforce strategy, it is a direct investment in better outcomes for children and families,” says Sindihebura. 

Now a graduate of the MPH program, Sindihebura continues to serve as a research assistant with CUP and the Drayton Valley team. Next, she hopes to pursue a doctoral degree to build a career focused on research that meaningfully connects community priorities with academic work. 

“My primary interest lies in addressing systemic challenges in the early learning and child care sector with the aim of improving access, equity and quality of care,” she says.

Learn more about the important research happening in the School of Public Health in the 2024-25 Research Impact Report »