International Development:

  • Sierra Leone. Based in rural Northern Province, volunteer organizer of international partnerships for cdpeace (Centre for Development and Peace Education) since September 2007. 
  • International Development Studies. Bachelor of Arts with distinction. Dalhousie University. 1993.
  • OXFAM-Canada Program Coordinator. Coordinated international development educational programs. Chaired the Gender and Development Committee and the Caribbean Program Committee. Managed DEVERIC, a development education resource centre. Member of CIDA’s International Development Education Awards committee. 1985-93.
  • Solidarity Work –South Africa Information Group (anti-apartheid), Latin America Information Group, Halifax Peace Coalition; founding member of the Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network.Traveled and/or lived in Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, South-East Asia.

Teaching:

  • Teacher. Taught primary and secondary school classes in a variety of culturally diverse urban and rural public and private schools in Nova Scotia. Also worked as literacy coordinator and resource teacher (reading specialist). 1994-2007.
  • Master of Arts in Early Literacy. Mount Saint Vincent University. Carried out collaborative action-research on critical literacy. Awarded Governor-General's medal for literacy research and highest academic standing. 2001.
  • Master of Education in Literacy. Mount Saint Vincent University. 1997.
  • Bachelor of Education. Mount Saint Vincent University. 1994.
  • Early Literacy Leadership Team. Planned professional development programs and facilitated workshops and in-services for teachers and administrators on literacy issues. Created and maintained a language arts web site for the Halifax Regional School Board. 1999-2002.
  • Primary Program Implementation Team. Planned and facilitated workshops and inservices on the primary year program. Created and presented professional development resources.1998-2000.
  • Technology Integration Team. Provided professional development in-services in technology integration. Helped write a regional technology integration curriculum document.
  • Social Studies Implementation Team. Conducted professional development in-services on new secondary social studies curriculum. 2006. 
  • Teaching Excellence Fellowship. Faculty of Education, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. 2008
  • School Twinning for a Small Planet. Created curriculum resources and facilitated school and class twinning between schools in the global north (Canada, Northern Ireland, USA) and Sierra Leone. 2008

Peace Education:

  • Race Relations, Human Rights and Cross-Cultural Understanding representative at Atlantic View, O’Connell Drive and Ross Road Schools.
  • Peer Mediation coordinator at Dalhousie Co-operative, Atlantic View, O’Connell Drive, Ross Road and Oxford Schools. Provided training and support to student mediators.
  • League of Peaceful Schools representative for O’Connell Drive School. Planned programming, wrote articles for League of Peaceful Schools publications, spoke and volunteered at several peaceful schools conferences.
  • Peaceful Schools International volunteer Regional Coordinator. Created resources and facilitated training sessions.
  • Green Team Coordinator for Atlantic View and O’Connell Drive Schools.
  • Former member of the N.S. Global Education Committee, N.S. Environment and Development Coalition, Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Metro Council on Continuing Education.

Adult Learning:

  • Adult Literacy: Issues and Methods certificate. Henson College.
  • Adult literacy program volunteer.
  • Facilitation. Planned and facilitated numerous professional development programs in early literacy, technology integration, multiage teaching, and peace education.
  • Resource Development. Created web sites, videos, slide shows and print resources to support adult learning.
  • Community Groups. Founder and executive member of several social justice and international issues community groups.