Two students from Niagara College’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) program recently took their learning halfway around the world to Bangkok, Thailand, where they completed a ten-week work placement at Lertlah School through Niagara College’s Be World Ready program.
This unique Be World Ready work abroad experience is just one of the many opportunities and career pathways available to NC’s ECE students, allowing them to gain invaluable international experience while embracing new cultural perspectives.
Students at Lertlah School participated in play-based learning experiences, facilitated by NC students.
“Living and teaching in Thailand offers our students a unique opportunity to experience a diverse and innovative approach to early childhood education,” said Jackie Frail, Associate Dean, School of Community Services. “This immersive experience not only broadens their global perspective but also enhances their professional development. By returning to Ontario with a deeper understanding of international pedagogy, our students are equipped to approach early years education with fresh insights and a more holistic, globally informed lens.”
For recent ECE graduate Emma Di Virgilio of Niagara Falls, the opportunity to teach in Thailand was something she couldn’t pass up.
“When I heard about the Thailand opportunity, I was immediately interested,” said Di Virgilio. “Teaching abroad has always been a dream of mine, and this seemed like the ideal way to blend my passion for working with children with the chance to gain valuable international experience.”
During her Be World Ready work abroad experience, Di Virgilio was able to explore Thailand during her free time.
Throughout her ten-week work term, Di Virgilio taught a kindergarten class and worked as a supply teacher in the international department, instructing students up to grade six. Drawing on what she learned at Niagara College, she incorporated play-based, hands-on activities into her lessons, covering early literacy, numeracy, English, math, and science and created games and songs to reinforce learning about letters, numbers, and animals.
“Getting to expand the student’s exposure to play-based learning was extremely rewarding,” said Di Virgilio. “It was amazing to watch their confidence grow as they learn new skills in a fun and interactive way.”
A student from Lertlah School works on numeracy.
The partnership between Niagara College and Lertlah School began in 2015, when Lertlah’s staff, impressed by Niagara College’s ECE program, reached out to explore opportunities for collaboration. In 2019, the first group of ECE students travelled to Thailand for their placement, marking the beginning of a transformative experiential learning experience for NC students.
“For ECE students in their final term, this placement enables them to fulfill all their academic requirements at NC before traveling to Thailand to complete their practical hours,” said Frail. “Once there, they join the Lertlah teaching team, applying their knowledge and skills to support a child’s emotional, social, intellectual, and physical development.”
“Watching this experience unfold for our students is incredibly impactful,” said Maxine Semple, Director, Cultural and Global Engagement “The opportunity to teach abroad with Lertlah is truly unique, and when these students return, they come back transformed in profound ways. They gain valuable skills such as autonomy, agency, and the responsibility of developing curriculum that are rarely afforded to them in Ontario. The level of independence and hands-on experience they receive is unmatched, and it’s something they can’t fully replicate back home.”
For Di Virgilio, who now works as an ECE at A Child’s World daycare centre, her experience in Thailand has solidified her path forward.
“Traveling to Thailand and working with the students at Lertlah confirmed that teaching is what I want to do for my career,” she said. “My goal is complete my Bachelor of Education so I can return to Lertlah to work as a teacher.”
Later this year, representatives from Lertlah School will visit Niagara College to meet with ECE students and share more about this ongoing opportunity. As the partnership continues to grow, it opens the door for even more students to expand their horizons, preparing the next generation of educators to teach with compassion, creativity, and a truly global perspective.
