President
Charlotte Serpa, MEd, CYC
Central and Northern Region – Humber College
Charlotte has been a full-time Professor in the Child and Youth Care programs at Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning in Toronto, Canada, since 2011. She has a 3-year diploma in Child and Youth Work from Humber; a Bachelor degree in Community Welfare – Youth Work from the University of Western Sydney, Australia; and a Masters of Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Prior to teaching in the CYC program, Charlotte worked in residential care settings, educational settings, and in youth homelessness. A major focus in her work in the field was as a youth substance use / harm reduction counsellor. Charlotte is a member of the Ontario Association of Child and Youth Care. She is passionate about the future and quality of child and youth care education.
Vice-President
Western Region – MacEwan University
Treasurer
Monica Pauls, BA, MA, PhD in progress
Eastern/ Western Region – Mount Royal University
Monica Pauls is an Associate Professor in the Bachelor of Child Studies (BCST) at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta. She predominantly teaches in the areas of research, program design, policy, and child and youth care practice. Her teaching philosophy is grounded in the connection between theory with practice and she works to create a participatory learning environment, partnering with agencies and organizations in the field and providing opportunities for the practical application of knowledge.
Monica has been working as a researcher in the social science field for over a decade and has extensive experience in project development, evaluation, and policy analysis. Her research interests include youth activism, youth justice, social movements. and community change. Upon completing her Masters’ degree, she worked as the Coordinator for Alberta-based Research Projects at the Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family (CRILF) and as a Policy Analyst for the United Way of Calgary and Area. Prior to this, she worked for several years with at-risk youth in schools, community programs, and residential facilities.
Monica is currently enrolled in a doctoral program in Sociology at the University of Calgary.
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
Shemine A. Gulamhusein, BA, MA, PhD
Western Region – MacEwan University
Shemine is an Assistant Professor at MacEwan University and has been educating in the field of Child and Youth Care and Therapeutic Recreation since 2014. Prior and during this time, Shemine worked as a children’s counsellor, a shelter program manager, and an international youth camp program coordinator. Shemine’s journeys internationally have guided her research interests in what it means to be a Canadian Shia Ismaili Muslim, a brown bodied female, and living in the in-between of multiple social spaces. As a children’s counsellor, Shemine learned the importance of supporting young people in navigating and negotiating spaces of discomfort, as well as introduce ways to articulate who one identifies as. The learnings obtained near and far along with her interest in youth identity formation, migration patterns, religious and/or spiritual identities, and recreation are teased into her teaching and research. Her experiences drive her to bridge Child and Youth Care and Therapeutic Recreation theories and practices together to best support migrant children, youth, and families.
Kate Pipe, BA, MA, CYCP
Central and Northern Region – Sheridan College
Kate holds a MA in Child and Youth Care, Toronto Metropolitan University, and 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. Kate 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.
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. He spent the first 6 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 3 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.
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.
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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