How We're Decolonizing our Approach to our Educators’ Wellness

As an early education centre that supports in educating our youngest citizens, it is so essential for our team members to feel supported so they too can support the children in our care. With that in mind, our Capstone Team Experience group has spent their last undergraduate year creating a wellness manual for all our team members to use and incorporate into their lives in and outside of our centres. To finish off their incredible work, the team has shared their experience and notable takeaway from their project below! Read on to learn more about what Capstone Team Experience group has created. 

As part of a capstone project to complete a Child Studies undergraduate degree at Mount Royal University, our team, composed of Kiana Amiot, Nicole Matiko, Jessica McEwen and Sarah Hashman, developed a wellness manual for the benefit of Wee Wild Ones and its employees. This capstone project was developed in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls To Action and the need to decolonize mental health practices, the idea of wellbeing, and positive team experiences in the childcare field. As one of the most emotionally demanding professions, many educators are experiencing a decline in their mental health. We wanted to create a tool to reach as many people as possible through inclusive and diverse resources and practices, so they could use it to promote good health and overall wellness.

In developing the manual, we strived to broaden the experience for users by moving away from a strictly Westernized perspective to a more holistic and balanced view of health and wellbeing. We also wanted to find a balance between inclusion, diversity and individual differences while accommodating staff from different backgrounds, abilities and language skills. Finally, we wanted the manual to be easy to use and interactive to support different learning styles. These resources include videos, podcasts, books and websites, with QR codes for quick digital access. There are several infographics (some created by the team) for easy reference and suggested activities for individuals to do on their own.  

The wellness manual is divided into six sections. Section 1 provides an introduction to wellness practices. It includes an Indigenous perspective on wellness practices, as well as the importance of modeling wellness in the classroom and the importance of self-care. Sections 2 through 5 focus on the four aspects of wellness (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual) using the Plains Cree Medicine Wheel as a teaching tool. Each of these four sections takes a deeper look into every aspect of wellness, and includes key terms, resources and mindfulness activities specific to that section. Section 6, the final section in the manual, includes a glossary, emergency mental health numbers and additional resources for marginalized groups such as LGBTQ+, BIPOC, etc.

While working on this project, one of the main goals for our team was to bring more awareness to the importance of practitioners working in the childcare field prioritizing their mental health. Working with children and families is very important work, and it is important for practitioners to first prioritize their own wellbeing so that they can provide optimal care for the children they work with. Another big goal for our team was to decolonize the way that we think about and approach mental health. Western medicine does not always approach health and wellbeing with a holistic mindset, often leaving people less than healthy. Our hope was that the manual we created would provide the staff of Wee Wild Ones with access to diverse resources that support all aspects of wellbeing (emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual). 

Authored by, 

Kiana Amiot, Nicole Matiko, Jessica McEwen and Sarah Hashman

As an early education centre that values the health of all our team members, we are beyond grateful for the incredible work that these students have created over the past academic year! We look forward to incorporating this holistic wellness manual in our centres and are excited to continue to use the practices within the guide on an ongoing basis! 

To learn more about this year’s Capstone Teams, click here.