As Director of Program, Loa is accountable for ensuring Program integrity and innovation, building strong relationships with current and future program partners and leading Strong Start’s program team of impassioned early literacy professionals to help drive and deliver greater impact. Loa is a dedicated educator with over two decades of experience in education, instructional leadership, and curriculum development with a strong focus on the early years of children’s development. She utilizes her extensive expertise in school systems, program implementation, and professional learning to identify effective instructional practices for diverse learners and guide their effective use to deliver maximum impact.
Additionally, in her part-time role of Contract Faculty at Wilfrid Laurier University, Loa supports pre-service teachers in developing their capacity with evidence-based literacy instruction and a holistic approach to the early years. With a foundational background as a classroom teacher, Instructional Coach and Early Years Consultant with the Waterloo Region District School Board in Ontario, Loa has a rich history of working directly with children and those supporting children and families. Prior to her career in education, Loa worked at Family & Children’s Services as a Child Service Worker ensuring compliance with CFSA and regulatory requirements for children in care. She also served the Cambridge Public Library as Children’s Programmer, planning and implementing literature programs for children from birth to age eight.
Loa holds a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education from the University of British Columbia and is an active contributor to various professional committees, including the Bachelor of Early Learning Program Advisory Committee at Conestoga College and the Early Learning & Literacy Alliance of Waterloo Region. Her ongoing commitment to professional learning and purposeful partnerships and collaborations reflects a passion to promote early literacy and empower all children with the fundamental skill of reading.