Students of the school district’s BEAM program as they tackle math activities in the classroom.
By Mandy Moraes, NLPS Staff
The first cohort of Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools’ pilot Education Assistant training program is gearing up to bring their new skills into classrooms across the school district.
The six-month BEAM pilot, launched in May, was created for people with experience supporting children in either childcare, sports, or youth programs. It quickly gained momentum in the community as a flexible new pathway into the EA field.
For students Corey Haughian and Sarah Lindskog, the program delivered learning that extended beyond the classroom.
“Workshops and guest speakers, like speech pathologists, were so valuable … And any info to do with ADHD and autism I’ve been deep-diving into because all students are different. And that information has just been so beneficial, not only for being an EA, but even in my family life,” Haughian said.
Lindskog, who had already worked with NLPS as a Responsible Adult, was surprised by how much the program covered.
“I’ll be honest, I just didn’t have a lot of knowledge before. Now, the continuous learning and layering of information has been incredible for me,” she said.
Classmate Jessica Lebrun said one of the biggest strengths of BEAM was how closely the learning aligned with NLPS’s needs and expectations.
“It’s tailored to what the district wants in their EAs. That’s something you might not get from a university or college program,” she said. “We hit the ground running. There isn’t that lag you might get with someone coming in from elsewhere.”
Another unique part of the program was its mentorship model. Instead of observing from the sidelines, interns took on active EA roles with help from experienced mentors.
Part of Haughian’s placement included supporting students who use communication devices, an experience she said helped her build confidence.
“I got to see a lot of the action, and it made me feel very prepared to enter any classroom in the future.”
Evening classes offered alongside internship hours created further opportunities for reflection and peer support.
“Being able to talk with other adults going through the same thing was so helpful,” said Lindskog. “We bounced ideas off each other and brought solutions back to our schools.”
NLPS plans to offer another BEAM cohort next year, and although the start date may change, class size is expected to stay roughly the same to maintain personalized support and the strong mentorship model.