December 14, 2021 | Alberta

For Simelukuthula “ Thula” Sibanda, working with children has been an integral part of life for many years. A passionate early childhood educator who finds great joy in the work she does, Thula was recently recognized on a national level for her endeavours.

She is one of the 13 educators around the country who were awarded the 2021 Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence – an honour to commemorate educators for their teaching practices and contributions.

Thula was born in Zimbabwe and moved to Canada in 2006. In 2016, she pursued the Early Childhood Education program at CDI College. She now applies her skills and knowledge from that education towards her role as the early childhood supervisor at the Edmonton Northwest Day Care Centre.

One of Thula’s greatest skills is her ability to adapt to each child’s specific needs. She applies the Flight Framework for her activities with children. This curriculum training method focuses on achieving broad holistic goals to cover multiple domains including social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and language.

Her expertise in the application of this framework is evident in her initiatives to mentor other educators. She coaches three other educators and is helping them develop skills to implement efficient childcare practices.

Thula lays great emphasis on the importance of family involvement in the growth of a child and takes the initiative to connect with parents on a daily basis. While this initiative took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, Thula and her colleagues made the transition from verbal in-person communication to connecting with children and their families online.

When asked about what brings her back to work each day, she shares how being around children brings her a lot of joy and each of their small milestones are a testament to their success together with her.

At CDI College, we are proud of our students and graduates who continue to strive for success and Thula is a prime example of this success.

Are you interested in making a difference in the life of young children and having a positive impact on families? Click here to learn about our Early Childhood Education program.