Child and Youth Care students keen on diverse faculty

A great teacher in the making: Tanya Valois is considering post-secondary teaching when she has completed her studies in Child and Youth Care.

Tanya Valois says there "was no question" she would come to Douglas College to complete her BA in Child and Youth Care (BA CYC).

"I had such a positive experience with my diploma. I knew it was an environment where I could learn and learn well," she says. Valois graduated from the Child and Youth Care Counsellor (CYCC) Diploma Program in 1996. She has been working as a family counsellor with Westcoast Family Resources ever since and was recently promoted to part-time assistant program director. Valois is currently wrapping up her fourth year of the degree program. She plans to take her master's degree and eventually her PhD at the University of British Columbia or the University of Victoria.

Once she has completed her studies, Valois is considering opening her own counselling practice or working in the healthcare field. She isn't ruling post-secondary teaching out of her future plans, however. Last semester she taught 1228: Counselling Skills with instructor Colleen Murphy for the practicum component of her degree and loved it.

"It was interesting to see the learning process from the perspective of a teacher. It made me think `How would I teach it using my practical experience and make sure people have a positive learning experience?'"

When wearing her student hat, Valois says she and her colleagues often learn from one another. With 12 years working in the field Valois has the opportunity to show other students what career options are available. In turn, she has learned from students who are new to child and youth care.

"It gets you back to the core beliefs of what we do. It's about making change for people. It's about a bigger picture than the job," says Valois.

The CYC Program's diversity was key to her decision to return to Douglas College.

"The faculty have a wide range of experience. It opens up possibilities to things you may not have thought about," she says.

Instructor Bruce Hardy agrees the faculty is what sets Douglas College apart from the competition. "Our instructors come from backgrounds of social work, child and youth care, education and several other disciplines," he says. Hardy, whose background is in community non-profit organizations, government ministries and education, has two master's degrees and a PhD in child and youth care.

The range of experience among the instructors in both the diploma and degree programs means students are exposed to and encouraged to consider a variety of job options on graduation.

Diploma students find work in community centre programs, group homes, schools, non-profit organizations, drug and alcohol programs and street programs. Degree students can advance further in these jobs, plus find work in the provincial Children and Family Development and Health ministries and hospitals.

The faculty's diversity is mirrored in the wide range of students attracted to the program - some straight from high school while others come with years of work and life experience. Hardy says that the common thread among them is the need for a strong work ethic to succeed. Valois is a good example of this he adds.

"It's a very demanding program and it becomes more demanding as you go on. You can't have life as it was and expect no changes," says Hardy.

Indeed, Valois had attempted an earlier return to school but found her work and school schedules too much to juggle with two young children.

Today Valois laughs, "My floors don't get cleaned as often as they used to."

However, personal wellness is stressed by CYCC and BA CYC instructors, says Valois. "It's not a setup to fail. The teachers want you to succeed. There's positive support and it trickles down to the students."

Related Links

Information session
Bachelor of Arts Child and Youth Care
Child and Youth Care Counsellor Diploma
Westcoast Family Resources
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