President
Rebecca Stiller, MSc, CCYC, PhD Candidate
Western Region – MacEwan University
Rebecca has taught in the Department of Child and Youth Care at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta, since 2017 and she currently works in an assistant professor position. Her teaching practice emphasizes relational, activity-oriented pedagogy in the context of courses focused on child development, child intervention law, social justice, and family work. Additionally, she is a dissertation supervisor and lecturer for two courses, Child Development in the Lifespace and Research Methods, in the University of Strathclyde’s MSc in Child and Youth Care program.
Rebecca holds an MSc in Child and Youth Care from the University of Strathclyde, and she is completing a PhD in Education and Social Justice at Lancaster University. She is a member of the Child and Youth Care Association of Alberta and is an avid supporter of quality CYC education.
Travis Sampson, BA, CYC-P
Eastern Region – Nova Scotia Community College
Travis is a husband and father of two boys. He is a Child and Youth Care Practitioner from Nova Scotia, Canada. He graduated from Nova Scotia Community College’s (NSCC) Child and Youth Care (CYC) Diploma program in 2012.
Travis spent the first six years of his career working in 24/7 group care programs in Halifax, Nova Scotia, before spending two years in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, working both frontline and as Program Manager in a live-in care program supporting Inuit youth. He also spent three years in school-based practice as Nova Scotia incorporated Child and Youth Care Practitioners into the provincial education system. He is currently a full-time faculty member in the CYC Program at NSCC.
Treasurer
Jessica Morris, CYW, BA CYC, MEd Post Secondary Studies
Central and Northern Region – Georgian College
Jessica is a professor and program coordinator of the Child and Youth Care program at Georgian College. Jessica is passionate about program design and has made innovative strides with curriculum at both Georgian and Niagara Colleges. She is a Certified Child and Youth Care Practitioner certified through the Child and Youth Care Certification Board (CYCCB). Jessica has worked in various front-line positions over the years and reflects fondly on her ten years as a foster parent.
Jessica holds a Child and Youth Worker diploma from Mohawk College, an Honours BA of Child and Youth Care at Toronto Metropolitan University, and a Masters of Education in Post Secondary Studies from Memorial University.
Secretary
Shelly Currie, MEd, CYC-P
Eastern Region – Nova Scotia Community College
Shelly is a Certified Child and Youth Care Practitioner certified through the Child and Youth Care Certification Board (CYCCB), and she holds a bachelor’s degree in Child and Youth Study and a master’s degree in Education.
Shelly spent 15 years working in community-based practice. She started her career working front-line with children, youth, and families. She then moved into supervisory roles managing volunteers, student placements, and staff within community organizations. She has been a faculty member at Nova Scotia Community College since 2016.
Shelly has two sons, ages 15 and 12, and is proud to drive “mom’s taxi” around town taking her kiddos and their friends to basketball practices, games, and the odd stop for slushies & McDonalds fries!! She’s an active member of her youngest son’s school Parent Teacher Partnership (PTP) and participates as much as she can in community activities with her family. Shelly is the Board Chair for Chebucto Connections, a community development agency in Halifax. She’s passionate about Child and Youth Care Education and represents the East Coast on the Practicum Committee of CYCEAB.
Fun facts:
Favorite sport: Pickleball
Favorite CYC textbook: Child and Youth Care in the Field, A Practicum Guidebook by Carys Cragg
Members
Kerri Hayley
Eastern Region – Amal Youth and Family Centre
Kerri has worked in the field of child and youth care since 2006 and she has been with Amal Youth and Family Centre since 2021. She is one of the Managers of Out of Home Care for the St. John’s region.
Kerri is a certified Psychological Health and Safety Advisor and a trainer for The Person Brain Model, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI). Before coming to Amal Kerri worked as an instructor in the child and youth care diploma program at Eastern College and as a classification officer with the Department of Justice. Kerri has also been appointed to the Criminal Code Mental Disorder Review Board.
Kerri is a certified Canadian counsellor and has seven years of clinical counselling experience. She operates from a cognitive behavioral, trauma-informed, and strengths-based approach. Kerri also has training and clinical experience in Narrative Therapy and Solution Focused Brief Therapy.
Kate Pipe, BA, MA, CYCP
Central and Northern Region – Sheridan College
Kate holds a MA in Child and Youth Care, Toronto Metropolitan University, and she has been a school-based Child and Youth Counsellor for over 15 years. Kate is a Sheridan College Professor in the Child and Youth Care department. She is the faculty lead of several courses, and she also works with her department to create a curriculum in the program, which ensures alignment with program standards that are consistent, current, and relevant to the field. Teaching has always been her lifelong goal, and where her passion for helping curate future practitioners in the field is harnessed.
Beginning her career within youth justice, Kate has navigated the field of Child and Youth Care with a strong passion for supporting children, youth, staff, and families with the tools and strategies they need to overcome barriers and has done so with a focus on empathy, advocacy, equality, and inclusivity. Kate has a passion for creativity and character education, having worked alongside Nelson the Giant Creative Inc., to develop and create empathy-based videos and content that supports anti-bullying initiatives. Kate is also the actor and creator of the Your TV Halton’s Catch Kindness with Ms. Kate and Nelson, the Giant.
Dr. Emmie Henderson-Dekort
Western Region – Mount Royal University
Emmie is an Assistant Professor in the Bachelor of Child Studies (BCST) degree program at Mount Royal University. Her research interests and expertise focus on children’s and youth’s rights, participatory action research, and amplifying the voices of young individuals.
Emmie is deeply committed to the principles outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and she actively integrates these principles into her teaching, research, and contributions to CYCEAB.
Emmie’s work emphasizes the importance of equipping practitioners, educators, and young individuals with a deep understanding of the UNCRC to ensure that children’s rights are respected and implemented across diverse contexts. Emmie also brings extensive practical experience working directly with children and youth, which informs her academic and professional contributions, ensuring a strong connection between theory, practice, and advocacy for children and youth.
Sheva Leon, MSc, CYC
Central and Northern Region – Mohawk College
Sheva is a full-time Professor in the Child and Youth Care program at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario. She has a diploma in Child and Youth Work from Humber College and a Master of Science in Child and Youth Studies from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland. She is also a member of the Ontario Association of Child and Youth Care. When she is not teaching, Sheva is also a passionate trainer for suicide intervention, providing suicide intervention training and consultations regarding suicide, locally and internationally. Prior to teaching in the CYC program, Sheva worked in residential care settings, educational settings, and with children and youth living in poverty. Her work with children and youth has been in India, England, the US, and Canada. She is passionate about preparing the next generation of CYC practitioners and contributing to the best interests of the children, youth and families in our communities.
Charlotte Serpa, MEd, CYC
Past President
Charlene Robert, B.A., B.S.W., R.S.W
Western Region – Saskatchewan Polytechnic
Charlene is an instructor in the Child and Youth Care program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic and has taught for the past seven years. Through this position, she has been able to encourage and teach students that are entering into this field and to support them in reaching their full potential. Her favourite part of instructing is being able to watch the growth and resilience of the students and have them carry that into the YCW field.
She obtained her Child and Youth Care Diploma in 2005 from SIAST
in Saskatoon and went on to finish her BSW and a BA in Sociology from the University
of Regina and University of Saskatchewan. She has worked with children,
youth, and families in different capacities for over 20 years and has a passion
for the child and youth care field.
Charlene believes every young person deserves a safe and nurturing
environment within which to grow and thrive. From an early age, she has had
a natural affinity for connecting with kids and understanding their unique
needs. She pursued a career in child and youth care because she wanted to
make a positive impact on their lives and has had the privilege of working in various
settings such as schools, community agencies, and residential facilities as
well as the child protection field.
Outside of work, she enjoys staying updated on the latest research
and practices in child and youth care work and being part of the CYCEAB.
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