SFU Childcare Society

The Echo Maker Space at our Sapperton location emerged through a partnership between SFU Childcare Society and the Burnaby School District as part of the SEY2KT (Strengthening Early Years to Kindergarten Transition) initiative. Over the past four years, educators, kindergarten teachers, and staff from both organizations have formed a community of practice dedicated to strengthening children's experiences as they transition from early learning settings into kindergarten.

The Echo Maker was created as a community-based studio filled with recycled, reclaimed, and open-ended materials. It invites children and adults alike to reimagine everyday objects, explore possibilities, exchange ideas, and engage in meaningful processes of creativity, inquiry, innovation, and discovery. The Echo Maker also serves as a resource-sharing hub where materials can be borrowed, exchanged, repurposed, and given a second life.

To continue growing this work, we are seeking donations of loose parts and open-ended materials to support children's learning, creativity, and emerging interests.

On Saturday June 20th between 10AM-12PM, we welcome donations of safe, clean, and interesting materials! 7650 Sapperton Ave, Burnaby BC.

If you work for a business, organization, or community group that may have materials available for donation, please email us at [email protected], we would love to connect with you.

Thank you for supporting the Echo Maker and helping us create a sustainable, community-centred environment where materials are reimagined, relationships are strengthened, and children are empowered to explore, discover, and learn.

Back in April, we had the privilege of hosting leaders, administrators, and managers from across Burnaby and Vancouver for a day dedicated to reflection, learning, and connection.

As we look back on that day, we continue to reminisce about the rich conversations, thoughtful reflections, and meaningful relationships that were strengthened throughout our time together. The day highlighted the importance of creating spaces where leaders can gather as a community of practice. Through reflection, conversation, and shared learning, participants were able to explore common experiences, challenge their thinking, and build relationships that strengthen both individual leadership and the broader early years sector.

We were honoured to welcome Angel Stoddard as our facilitator. Angel, an instructor at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee's School of Continuing Education, a member of the Exchange Leadership Initiative, and a passionate advocate for leadership in early childhood education, challenged us to think deeply about our roles as leaders and the impact we have on creating thriving learning communities.

Throughout the day, Angel shared insights from her book, The Intentional Director: Cultivating Excellence in Early Childhood Programs, co-authored with Pam Boulton. Together, Angel and Pam draw on decades of leadership experience to explore how intentional leadership, reflective practice, strong relationships, and effective management can contribute to high-quality programs for children, families, and educators. Their work offered valuable perspectives and practical tools that many of us continue to reflect on months later.

As we continue to revisit the learning from that day, we also hold space to honour the legacy of Pam Boulton, who has since passed away. Pam was a respected leader, educator, mentor, and advocate whose influence reached far beyond the programs she led. Through her writing, teaching, and commitment to mentoring others, she inspired countless early childhood leaders to approach their work with intention, courage, and care. The reflections shared through The Intentional Director served not only as valuable leadership guidance but also as a reminder of Pam’s enduring impact on the field and the many individuals she supported throughout her career. Her legacy continues to live on through the relationships she nurtured, the leaders she mentored, and the collective commitment to excellence she championed.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended and contributed their experiences, questions, and reflections. The wisdom shared throughout the day reinforced the importance of creating spaces where leaders can learn alongside one another, build community, and strengthen our collective capacity to support children, families, and educators.

We are grateful to Burnaby CCRG, and our community partners for helping us make this gathering possible.

This initiative was funded through the Canada–British Columbia Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia, in partnership with Westcoast Family Centres, the agency responsible for administering the funds.

To learn more about The Intentional Director: Cultivating Excellence in Early Childhood Programs: https://www.redleafpress.org/The-Intentional-Director-Cultivating-Excellence-in-Early-Childhood-Programs-P3171.aspx

May is Childcare Appreciation month in BC. As a gesture of our appreciation for all their valuable work, professionalism and dedication to early learning and care, SFUCCS gave everyone a gift. Here's a few photos of our wonderful educators sporting their new SFUCCS tote bags! What an amazing team we have!

May is Child Care Month in BC!
Child Care Provider Appreciation Day is May 8, 2026!

On May 1st, we came together at Burnaby Lake Rowing Pavilion for a meaningful day of reflection, connection, and shared learning.

We were grateful to welcome Amaka Amadike (M.A., M.Ed.) Between Cultures Foundation as our keynote speaker. Amaka shared a powerful perspective on the role of culture in early childhood education, inviting us to think deeply about identity, bias, and how we create spaces where everyone feels seen and valued.

A big focus of the day was a simple but important question: Who are we in our learning spaces? We reflected on how our identities shape what we notice, how we respond, and who experiences a sense of belonging.

Through prompts like “What did you discover about yourself?”, “Who are your colleagues, children, and families?”, and “What lenses do you bring, and how can you widen them?”, educators and leadership engaged in meaningful conversations and self-reflection.

We also explored what it means to build deeper cultural relationships through cultural humility, lifelong learning, ongoing self-reflection, and an awareness of the power we hold in our roles and how it impacts others.

It was especially meaningful to hear from the Bright Clouds team, who shared how they’ve been building strong, authentic connections with families through cultural engagement, as well as beginning a conversation about the components of rich, responsive early childhood environments.

Days like this remind us how important it is to pause, reflect, and learn together as a community. We’re thankful to our admin team, SFUCCS Board of Directors, and families for supporting this time together.

We left feeling inspired in our shared commitment to thoughtful and inclusive practice.

Last Thursday, three of our educators presented their graduating projects at Capilano University after a year of dedication, curiosity, and hard work.

Mili shared her exploration, “Living with Eggs: Dwelling, Becoming, and Relational Learning in Early Childhood,” a co-constructed inquiry that considers how relationships with more-than-human others shape learning. Through living with “eggy” in one of our infant and toddler programs, the project moved beyond seeing the egg as an object and instead engaged with it as a relational presence that invited ongoing curiosity. Questions about where eggy lives, who might be inside, and how it communicates emerged through everyday encounters with children, educators, and materials. By slowing down and staying with these questions, Mili’s work highlights how learning unfolds through shared wonder, experimentation, and relational engagement.

Jana and Jocelyn shared their work, “Falling with the Forest: Re-thinking Walking, Uncertainty, and Relational Becoming.” Their project explores how moments of falling during forest walks invite alternative ways of attending to place. Co-constructed alongside infants and toddlers, educators, and the forest, the inquiry reimagines falling by staying with the tensions it brings, opening possibilities to slow down, linger, and reconsider how we come to know the forest and how relationships unfold within it.

We are incredibly proud of the educators they are and look forward to witnessing their continued professional journeys.

We are also excited to share that Jana and Jocelyn were nominated for and received the Capilano University Library Undergraduate Research Award in recognition of their work.

Congratulations!!

Our SFUCCS Sapperton Seekers Infant Toddler team sprinkling happiness and kindness on Pink Shirt Day 2026.

Our fabulous, caring and kind Les Petits Infant/ Toddler team sprinkling kindness on Pink Shirt day and everyday

On Pink Shirt Day, our New IT team's manifesto of being "a place where kindness, trust, and collaboration live" is a integral part of their work everyday.

On Pink Shirt Day 2026, our wonderful, always joyful and kind Bright Clouds Infant/ Toddler team, reminding everyone to "sprinkle kindness' today and everyday.