Aboriginal Head Start Association of British Columbia
Our Story
The Aboriginal Head Start Association of BC is made up of representatives from each Aboriginal Head Start (AHS) program in BC. AHSABC was born in the spring of 1998, evolving in December 2001 into an incorporated non-profit society.
AHSABC is the only federally funded Provincial AHSUNC Support Project in Canada.
Today, our AHSABC membership consists of Program Coordinators as well as elected Parent and Elder Representatives from each AHS program in BC. The Coordinators make up the Board of Directors (listed below), along with our Provincial Parent Advisor and two Provincial Elder Advisors.
In BC, our AHS Village includes 12 AHSUNC (AHS Urban and Northern Communities) Preschools and 11 AHS Child Care Programs through the Growing AHS Provincial Initiative.
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Our AHSABC Team includes: Executive Director, Communications Coordinator, Administrative Coordinator, Provincial Program Manager, Provincial Program Advisor and Training Coordinator and National AHS Council and Projects Coordinator.
We also work closely with several valued contractors in our community.
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Achievements
AHSABC has hosted many trainings, celebrations and national events. A notable occasion was our 20th Anniversary Celebration of AHSUNC in Vancouver where we hosted a gathering for three days in July 2015. Past AHS graduates from across the country, along with staff, Elders, families and guests, shared feasts, entertainment and conversations about the impact of AHS in their lives. Read our Reflections Paper written by Monique Gray Smith about what she witnessed and learned from the 20th Anniversary Celebration.
For further reading on our research into the AHS Graduates who attended, here is an Analysis from the UBC Faculty of Education.
2010 marked the 15th Anniversary of AHSUNC programs in Canada. AHSABC compiled a Narrative Report called Valuing Aboriginal Head Start in BC: Celebrating 15 Years (1995-2010). To read stories from AHS community members across our province, download the PDF, here .
Reflections on the 20th Anniversary of AHS
written by Monique Gray Smith
Valuing AHS in BC Narrative Report
1995-2010
AHSABC has become a National leader in creating curriculum resources reflecting the 6 Components of AHS. These books, posters and videos are used in AHSUNC and AHSOR programs across Canada. For more info, go to our Resources page.
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