UFV student project helps shape real-world childcare spaces

A University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) classroom project has grown into something with lasting impact: real-world designs for local childcare centres.

Earlier this year, early childhood education students were invited to help design indoor and outdoor learning areas for Mission’s Kaleidoscope Childcare Centre while it was still under construction. The project was made possible through a partnership between the Mission Association for Community Living and UFV’s School of Education.

Students toured the unfinished space in hard hats and were given floorplans, then tasked with creating designs that included areas for eating, reading, and calming, as well as outdoor play. Many students added creative elements, such as a music corner made of recycled materials. Accessibility and inclusivity were also part of the plans, with students considering the needs of children with diverse abilities and families using mobility devices.

For graduate Allison Russell, the assignment turned into a foundation for her career. She has since applied what she learned to her work at the Stó:lō À:lmèlhàwtxw Early Education Centre in Chilliwack, where she now helps shape welcoming, child-centred spaces.

“I feel like I owe a lot of that to the university assignment,” Russell said.

UFV instructor Kylee Cox said the project reflects a broader emphasis on outdoor and holistic learning, aligned with the BC Early Learning Framework. She hopes collaborations like this continue now that UFV’s School of Education is based in Mission.

“It’s been a wonderful collaborative experience,” Cox said. “Having a childcare space just minutes down the road creates opportunities for students to observe children and potentially do their practicums there.”