Kiran has been working with children, parents and early childhood educators for over 25 years with the Fraser Valley Child Development Centre, focusing on strengthening understanding of child development, supporting children with developmental needs, and increasing the communities’ capacity to care for all children.

Kiran’s impressive educational background includes a Masters of Education in Early Childhood Education (UBC) and a BA in Child and Youth Care (UFV). Kiran is also a sessional instructor for the Child, Youth and Family Studies Program at UFV.

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Kiran passion for social emotional well-being led to the development of The CALM Curriculum as co-author and was inspired as a result of a thirst to understand and know how to support young children. Kiran’s extraordinary gift for teaching keeps her busy as the framework grows and participants engage in learning as a result of her ability to provide relatable, science driven examples and perspectives. 

Behind the scenes Kiran loves to spend time with her children, husband and sweet dog. Kiran is always exploring warm climates and you’ll often find her reading.

Nicole’s career has focused on project research, development, implementation, mobilization and expansion. Over the past 15 years, Nicole’s portfolio’s with the Fraser Valley Child Development Centre has included fund development, marketing, events, training and project coordination. Nicole has a BA in Management with UTS, Australia.

Nicole brings to the CALM team an overarching strategic vision to support curriculum development, production, mobilization and accountability. Nicole oversees production, marketing, expansion and support Kiran and Jodie will all training and capacity building initiatives. Nicole provides valuable understanding of all elements of the framework for strategic growth.

Behind the scenes Nicole is busy with her family and spends as much time outside and in the ‘warm’ sun as possible. Nicole is often planning a travel adventure or snuggling with the family cat.

The star of the CALM Curriculum© is most certainly Melvin the Monkey and students are immediately drawn to his character and his mannerisms. Children are attuned to his words (as spoken by the teacher) and want to engage in his activities. Melvin is the main facilitator for each of the curricula, with the occasional visit from his best friends Tucker the Turtle and Sadie the Sloth.

Jodie came to the Fraser Valley Child Development Centre with a wealth of experience in early childhood settings, and entrepreneur endeavors. Jodie works with children, parents and early childhood educators for the past 15 years as an Infant Child Development Consultant. Jodie has a BA in Child and Youth Care (UFV).

Jodie’s gift for understanding play and interaction with young children, led to the vibrant conversations and discussion with Kiran and in turn, co-authoring The CALM Curriculum. Jodie brings activities and strategies to life through the curated CALM Kit materials, her graphic design and sourcing of resources. Jodie co-facilitators most training with Kiran and provide invaluable one to one coaching for early childhood educators.

Behind the scenes Jodie love having her many grandchildren in the house, along with dog and cats. Jodie is always crafting and cooking up a storm.

Jenna is a new member of the CALM team, coming to this work with a breadth of knowledge and experience in child development and social and emotional learning (SEL). Jenna has earned a PhD and Masters of Arts (MA) in Human Development, Learning, and Culture from UBC, and a BA in Behavioural Neuroscience. In her graduate work and career, she has specialized in social and emotional learning and well-being of children and the adults that support them. She also has a subspecialisation in measurement and evaluation, and has coordinated several large-scale research studies on SEL programs in BC elementary schools. Jenna has taught as a sessional instructor at UBC in the teacher education program, and works as research and educational consultant for various organizations within and outside of BC. She has worked for the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP), the home of the EDI, and SFU’s CHART lab with the Youth Development Instrument (YDI), the older sibling of the EDI!

Jenna is passionate about supporting young people to thrive from a young age, empowering them to know their hearts and minds, and learn strategies to cope with life’s stressors and become compassionate citizens. She is also dedicated to supporting the adults that care for our young people, with knowledge, strategies, and support for their own well-being and the development of the children in their care.

Behind the scenes, Jenna is busy living CALM in her daily life with her young daughter and husband. They can be found planning or attending family parties, visiting parks, crafting, doing something Disney-related, or snuggling with their two kitties.