Andrea Thomas RECE, BA, OCT

Andrea Thomas joined the Early Learning Centre (ELC) as a Registered Early Childhood Educator in 2012.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Western Ontario. A passion for working with early learners led her to also complete an Early Childhood Education Diploma through the Accelerated Program at Loyalist College. Before joining the ELC, Andrea worked as a Registered Early Childhood Educator in childcare, and as a program facilitator with the federal Community Action Program for Children in the Waterloo Region.

Andrea is passionate about her work with children, families, students and colleagues in the Toronto Metropolitan University community. In 2013, she received a Field Educator Award for outstanding mentoring. She also collaborates with colleagues on a variety of initiatives related to early childhood education. In 2014, she was filmed for the video The Joy of Inquiry (opens in new window) .  In 2019, she contributed alongside her ELC colleagues to a research project led by Dr. Nicole Land entitled “Movement Pedagogies” (opens in new window) .

Andrea's areas of professional interest include early literacy and storytelling, children’s mental health, learning in outdoor environments, and the use of photography in early years settings.