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Associate Professor, Department of Child & Youth Study, Mount Saint Vincent University

Dr. Joan Turner, CCLS, is an Associate Professor in the department of Child & Youth Study at Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Canada. Her professional interests are supported through her engagement with the field of early childhood education in Nova Scotia and with the Association of Child Life Professionals. In collaboration with Dr. Jessie-Lee McIsaac, she has been on the evaluation team for the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Development early years centres and pre-primary programs since 2015. Research on the interests and ambitions of students enrolled in early childhood and youth related educational programs is underway to explore the expanding need for qualified early childhood educators in Nova Scotia. PLEY (physical literacy in the early years) is an additional collaboration with Dr. Michelle Stone with a focus on children's outdoor play with loose parts. Dr. Turner also collaborates with professionals in the field of child life on research to support the growth and development of the profession. She co-edited two books documenting the history of play in hospitals with Civita Brown of Utica College, NY: The Pips of Child Life: The Early Years of Play Programs in Hospitals (2014) and The Pips of Child Life: The Middle Years of Play Programs in Hospitals (2016).

Honours

Association of Child Life Professionals, Distinguished Service Award 2018