Alumni cheers their 50th Anniversary coffee mugs during Teachers' Night at the Museum.
Alumni and friends bring out their inner child
Our annual Teacher Appreciation Event had a child-like twist this year as we invited alumni to join us in exploring the new home of the London Children's Museum.
More than 100 alumni joined us for our Teachers' Night at the Museum.
Having recently completed its move to 100 Kellogg Lane, the event marked the first time that many guests were able to see the London Children’s Museum’s current location.
The event kicked off with opening remarks from Dean Donna Kotsopoulos, who spoke about the Museum’s special connection to the Faculty of Education and to local educators. When Kotsopoulos asked guests how many of them have had field trips to the Museum, nearly everyone raised their hand.
Kotsopoulos also gave thanks to all donors who have supported, and continue to support, the Faculty of Education.
“Your gifts and investments will go a long way in helping us transform education and transform lives. The importance of this work cannot be overstated,” Kotsopoulos said.
“In fact, the Conference Board of Canada estimates that every dollar invested into education will yield a $10 dollar return for society.”
Speaking about the impact of donations, Kotsopoulos referenced the recent opening of the Mary J. Wright Child & Youth Development Clinic’s (MJW-CYDC) new home.
The MJW-CYDC provides local children and youth with a full continuum of mental health care and services, including psychological assessments, consultations, and individual and group counselling. At the same time, the Clinic is training Faculty of Educatoin graduate students who are working to become future psychologists.
Since it first opened in 2017, the Clinic has supported more than 1,400 families and trained more than 90 mental health professionals. Thanks to the generosity of donors, roughly half of all clients benefit from discounted services. The MJW-CYDC's new home at the Faculty of Education will allow it to serve more families, delivering mental health care to those who need it most.
Kotsopoulos discussed two other areas in the Faculty that have the potential to extend their reach even further through donor support — the Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children (CREVAWC) and the Centre for School Mental Health.
CREVAWC is an international leader in working to eliminate violence and abuse from homes, workplaces and communities, while the Centre for School Mental Health is recognized as one of the preeminent centres for children’s mental health both nationally and internationally.
Last year, Dr. Claire Crooks, who founded and headed the Centre for School Mental Health, passed away. Claire was a groundbreaking clinical psychologist and researcher who played a vital role in reducing violence among youth.
“Through our fundraising efforts, we will continue her mission of supporting youth mental health on a global scale," Kotsopoulos said in her speech.
"Donations matter and their impact is immediate. I can assure you there has never been a better time to support the Faculty of Education.”
Education Dean Donna Kotsopoulos shares remarks during Teachers' Night at the Museum.
Those curious about donating are encouraged to consider joining the Dean’s Transformational Leaders’ Circle. Established in honour of our 50th Anniversary, this Circle is a unique community for our most loyal donors. All that’s required is an ongoing monthly gift of $50 dollars.
Leaders within the Circle receive special recognition from the Faculty, as well as exclusive invites to special lectures and events hosted by our Dean.
“We launched the Dean’s Transformational Leaders Circle in August with the goal of welcoming 50 leaders within a year. We are now just 15 donors away from reaching this goal,” Kotsopoulos told guests.
“I would deeply appreciate your help in reaching this milestone as we look to build safe, healthy and connected communities across Canada.”
Following Donna’s remarks, guests heard from the Faculty’s Alumni Champion Rhodora Meliton-Vanderpool, a veteran educator with more than 20 years of experience leading classrooms and supporting fellow teachers.
“There’s something that’s magical about the classroom family… what I’m talking about is building a community, a small but true reflection of the real world. Before you know it, the real world becomes where your students are,” Meliton-Vanderpool said.
“I often say you won’t remember what I taught you today, but you might remember all of the fun that we had.”
After the speeches, alumni and friends had a chance to bring out their inner child as they took part in an apple hunt throughout the London Children Museum’s new space.
A total of 50 apples were placed throughout the Museum, each of which could be redeemed for a gift bag.
Guests were also asked to reflect on their time at the Faculty of Education and jotting down some of their favourite memories. These memories will then be shared through our 50th Anniversary’s online Memories collection.
To see photos from Teachers’ Night at the Museum, please click through the carousel below.
