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Master of Education program celebrates a decade of leadership-building
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Strong leadership is an essential ingredient of a successful education system. School principals, academic program developers, and informal educators such as media and communications personnel become more effective when they strengthen their leadership skills, and this directly benefits the many constituencies they serve—that was the key message during a special celebration on November 14 to mark the first decade of UPEI’s Master of Education in Leadership and Learning program.
The guest speakers included the Honourable Gerard Greenan, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development; the Honourable Richard Brown, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning; and Katherine Schultz, UPEI Vice-President of Research and Development. The celebration was hosted by Tim Goddard, UPEI Dean of Education.
“Our 10-year celebration has provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on the positive impact that this graduate program has had on educators and education in Prince Edward Island and beyond,” said Dean Goddard.
More than 200 people have completed the MEd program since UPEI introduced it in 1998 to accommodate a stronger emphasis on the professional credentials of educators. Two graduates, from the classes of 2001 and 2002, made presentations that highlighted the program’s influence on their work.
“It was a life-changing experience and sent me on a journey of leadership in the public education system on PEI,” said Ken Gaudet, Principal of West Royalty Elementary. “As I look around the educational landscape, I see many of my classmates in leadership positions in schools, school boards, and the Department of Education. We became close knit as a group and have maintained that personal relationship over the years."
“The Master's of Education in Learning and Leadership represented, for me, an opportunity to achieve something I had always dreamed of doing,” said Audrey Penner, Director of Adult Education, Learner Supports, and Applied Research at Holland College. “I love to learn and I love to lead; this was the ideal program for me?a perfect fit.”
MEd Program Co-ordinator Miles Turnbull said that graduate and other advanced professional programs benefit the province in numerous ways.
“It is very important to build leadership capacity in our own province and in a wide variety of educational domains. Studies show that Islanders who do advanced degrees on the Island tend to stay here,” he said. “Programs such as this are an important way to keep our best and brightest people right here where we need them.”
In 2002, the University also introduced an innovative outreach component to this Master’s program that has attracted MEd students from as far afield as Grand Prairie and Fort McMurray in Alberta, and in Nunavut.
The Faculty of Education’s success with graduate studies had led to the development of a PhD program in educational studies that the UPEI Senate accepted earlier this year. This program is currently under review by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission.
For further information, please contact Dr. Miles Turnbull at 902-566-0341 or mturnbull@upei.ca.
The guest speakers included the Honourable Gerard Greenan, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development; the Honourable Richard Brown, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning; and Katherine Schultz, UPEI Vice-President of Research and Development. The celebration was hosted by Tim Goddard, UPEI Dean of Education.
“Our 10-year celebration has provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on the positive impact that this graduate program has had on educators and education in Prince Edward Island and beyond,” said Dean Goddard.
More than 200 people have completed the MEd program since UPEI introduced it in 1998 to accommodate a stronger emphasis on the professional credentials of educators. Two graduates, from the classes of 2001 and 2002, made presentations that highlighted the program’s influence on their work.
“It was a life-changing experience and sent me on a journey of leadership in the public education system on PEI,” said Ken Gaudet, Principal of West Royalty Elementary. “As I look around the educational landscape, I see many of my classmates in leadership positions in schools, school boards, and the Department of Education. We became close knit as a group and have maintained that personal relationship over the years."
“The Master's of Education in Learning and Leadership represented, for me, an opportunity to achieve something I had always dreamed of doing,” said Audrey Penner, Director of Adult Education, Learner Supports, and Applied Research at Holland College. “I love to learn and I love to lead; this was the ideal program for me?a perfect fit.”
MEd Program Co-ordinator Miles Turnbull said that graduate and other advanced professional programs benefit the province in numerous ways.
“It is very important to build leadership capacity in our own province and in a wide variety of educational domains. Studies show that Islanders who do advanced degrees on the Island tend to stay here,” he said. “Programs such as this are an important way to keep our best and brightest people right here where we need them.”
In 2002, the University also introduced an innovative outreach component to this Master’s program that has attracted MEd students from as far afield as Grand Prairie and Fort McMurray in Alberta, and in Nunavut.
The Faculty of Education’s success with graduate studies had led to the development of a PhD program in educational studies that the UPEI Senate accepted earlier this year. This program is currently under review by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission.
For further information, please contact Dr. Miles Turnbull at 902-566-0341 or mturnbull@upei.ca.
Contact
Anna MacDonald
Media Relations and Communications, Integrated Communications
