KIDZCAN GLOBAL EDUCATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice - President Education
Adrian has over 20 years of experience in international education in a wide range of experiences, from having served as Academic Dean at the first BC Offshore School in China to running Canada's largest international student services team at Thompson Rivers University. One of a select few Offshore Program Consultants approved by the BC Ministry of Education, Adrian has extensive experience setting up Canadian accredited schools in China, Korea, and other countries. Adrian is frequently requested to speak at national and regional conferences on international education themes, such as BCCIE, National Metropolis Conference and others.
Cyndi has worked at all levels of public and private education in China since 1999 and has successfully led the way for numerous joint ventures between education entities in Canada and China. She has been directly involved in bringing teachers from kindergarten to university to Canada to study western teaching methodologies, and she has recruited thousands of Chinese students for the best universities in Canada, the UK Latin America, the USA and Europe.
Formerly Vice-President, Global Advancement, Marketing & Business Development at Royal Roads University (2009-14) and Vice-President of Thompson Rivers University (2005-09), today Cyndi works with many colleges, universities and private education groups across Canada to forge new opportunities in international education.
Cyndi holds a Masters Degree in International Business from Asia Pacific International University, and was a visiting scholar with Beijing Foreign Language University.
Dr. Kathryn McNaughton was appointed Vice-President, Academic, Students & Research at Vancouver Community College in August, 2015. Prior to joining VCC, she was Dean, Centre for Teaching Excellence Innovation and Research at Red River College, Winnipeg. Previously, Dr. McNaughton served as the Vise-President, Academic & Research at the University College of North from 2007 to 2013, the Dean of the School of Education at Thompson Rivers University, Kamlooops BC from 2002 to 2007 and as Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, University of Regina from 1996-2002. Prior to completing a doctorate in education at Arizona State University, Dr. McNaughton taught in Ontario and at community colleges in Saskatchewan, Nunavut and British Columbia. She was also an early childhood consultant with the Province of Alberta, during which time she completed her Master's in Education at the University of Alberta. Her research has focused on early childhood teacher education, as well as international teacher education and has taken her to China, Trinidad and Tobago, Zambia, England and the United States. Dr. McNaughton has been honoured for her work by the Canadian Association of Young Children (CAYC), and the Educational Institute of Jilin Province, P.R China. She is a 2017 recipient of the Idahlyn Karre Exemplary Leadership award, given by The Chair Academy to individuals nominated by their colleagues in recognition of their exemplary leadership, their demonstrated best leadership practices and their commitment to their institutions, departments, teams, and the students they serve.
Jackie holds a Master's degree in Children's Literature from the University of British Columbia and worked for several decades as a Kindergarten Specialist teacher at Lord Roberts Annex School in the heart of Vancouver. Jackie was a distinguished children's puppeteer early in her career and in recent years has become a well-known artist, frequently showing her paintings in galleries and art shows around Vancouver.
Liton is a world language learner, Ph.D researcher, and curriculum aesthetics advocator and scholar.
Liton has been teaching courses across the curriculum in the past years in universities and colleges in Asia and North America before pursuing her PhD studies at the University of Victoria (UVic) in British Columbia, Canada. She has designed educational software - English Phonetic Training System software (EPTS) and has worked extensively infusing concepts of art to enhance the confidence of foreign language learners. Liton has consistently publishing research papers and projects on topics regarding the areas of curriculum and instruction, language and literacy, educational technology and leadership studies. Liton excels in focusing on describing learners' knowledge and attempting to equip teachers in their practice; she has received a host of other awards for her impressive academic achievement and extensive community service including the Irving K. Barber One World International Scholarship and is valued member of the Kidzcan team.
Lori holds a BEd from Simon Fraser University and has worked in the education field for over 30 years. Her teaching career has focussed on the primary years, Kindergarten to Grade 3. Lori has served as a new teacher mentor, Learning Team Grant Facilitator, member of the SD 57 District Math Team, and school Literacy Coach. Most recently, she was the primary grades advisor on the BC Curriculum Development Team. Lori currently lives in Victoria, BC, where she is teaching in a Kindergarten / Grade 1 classroom.
Michael has worked in international education for over 40 years, and has experience in leading schools on three continents. He served on the Board of International Baccalaureate, and was elected as Chair of the World Council of IB Heads. He has frequently spoken at international education conferences, and now acts as an international education advisor, and regularly leads teams to assess and accredit schools around the world on behalf of the Council for International Schools. Michael is a strong believer in the need for education to evolve along with society. The abundance and scope of technological access to information makes the relationship synergy between student and teacher more, not less, critical. Both teacher training and curriculum design need to reflect this importance, and Michael promotes this linkage whenever possible.
An experienced early childhood educator and child care centre director, Monica worked for the Saskatchewan government as a child care liscending consultant, inclusion coordinator, and represented Saskatchewan on the Federal/ Provincial Early Childhood Working Group which negotiated the terms for the national Early Childhood Development Agreement (2000) and the Multilateral Framework Agreement for Early Learning and Child Care (2003). She was on the national steering committee for the OECD international review of ECEC in Canada (Starting Strong II). Monica is consulting editor for in education, a peer-reviewed academic online-access journal on teacher education and broader educational issues and topics. Monica has published and presented papers and lectures on varied topics, including child care inclusion, ECE in China, and international ECE curricula at the provincial, national, and international levels.