About Us

Christianne has been educating children and adults for over 35 years. She established her unique parent and youth bookclubs in 1996, and now facilitates 17 bookclubs, 4 writers’ workshops and literature and art classes for young children at the Lyceum. She also teaches at post-secondary institutions, works as a teacher consultant, spent more than three decades facilitating parent groups in the ANCHOR Program at the Vancouver Child Study Centre, and is mother of two sons.

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Her Ph.D studies in education (UBC, 2000) focused on using select children’s literature to develop socially relevant curriculum in early childhood settings through to high school. Christianne’s M.Ed studies (Bristol, 1982) centered around the use of literary theming in nursery schools and its effect on children’s attitudes toward reading. Christianne completed her B.Ed (U of A, 1978) in Special Education and received her Diploma in Early Childhood Education in the same year. Her first year of study at the U of A was dedicated to Fine Arts which fueled a life-long love of the arts.

After moving to Vancouver from Ireland in 2019, Kellie fell completely in love with beautiful British Columbia, and quickly decided to make it her home away from home. 

 

Kellie graduated with a BA in English, Media and Cultural Studies from Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology in 2015, and is a passionate artist and creative writer. In her spare time she enjoys drawing, reading and has recently become fascinated with the art of needle felting. 

 

Before joining the Lyceum team, she worked as a program assistant for a non-profit organization which helped women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Here she gained a compassion that we have come to value at the Lyceum very much.

 

Kellie’s favourite thing about working at the Lyceum is having the opportunity to connect with so many wonderful families, and to contribute to a strong community which celebrates creativity, individuality and socially conscientious behavior.

Diana is completing her BA (Hons) in English literature at the University of British Columbia. She volunteered at the Lyceum for several years before joining the team in 2022, when she first had the privilege of working closely with many young writers as editor in chief and designer for Zine Fair.

 

Prior to her work at the Lyceum, Diana spent her time teaching dance and music to children and teens in Vancouver. A lifelong lover of the performing arts, Diana also participates in local musicals and operas whenever she has the chance.

 

In her spare time, Diana loves sewing, photography, learning new arias, designing jewellery, and reading and writing about fairy tales, Gothic literature, and eco-fiction. She is passionate about the ways in which literature can shape and shift our understanding of nature, identity, and society. She is always excited when her interests in pedagogy, writing, and ideas intersect at the Lyceum.

Introducing Shigeko May Nagadhima, a passionate nature enthusiast who finds sheer delight in the world of plants and art. With a Bachelor's degree in Fine Art from Emily Carr University and certification as an Early Childhood Educator, Shigeko seamlessly blends her artistic talents with her love for gardening.

 

An artist in her own right, Shigeko channels these well honed skills, possessing a magical ability with children knowing just when to stand back and be firm, and when to come forward with a gentle push or question. She is keenly curious about Reggio curriculum and embodies an innate understanding that is rare among early childhood educators.

 

Shigeko is gifted at creating outdoor spaces and her nurturing spirit and dedication shine through as she fosters children’s connection with nature. She is a hard worker and never shies away from an unyielding task.

 

Shigeko’s insatiable curiosity about the natural world and deep philosophical questions make her a natural fit.  

Having moved to Vancouver from the U.K. almost 8 years ago, Caitlin is now a fully fledged Canadian.

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She graduated with an MA (Hons) in English Literature from The University of Dundee in 2015 after taking a some time to travel the world in between. Caitlin spent the year after her degree volunteering for Victim and Witness Support Scotland, a non-profit aiming to provide specialized services for victims and witnesses of violent and non-violent crimes; as well as a two month stint in India as a human rights intern. She worked at the Lyceum as program manager and systems coordinator for 6 years and knew that there was no way she could leave it behind. 

 

The people closest to her know of her insatiable curiosity, desire to collect new skills, and love of donuts. 

Dorothy is our inimitable bookkeeper. She came to us with great humbleness saying she wanted to sharpen her skills in the workforce and in just 2 years has managed to make herself indispensable.

 

Dorothy is also mom to three amazing teenaged children, who always challenge her as they teach her how to be a better person. She loves the outdoors, travelling, and sleeping in on the weekends. You can find her biking in Pacific Spirit Park, chaperoning a field trip or running errands in the busy neigbourhood of Kerrisdale. She’s always ready to jump in with a helping hand and to learn something new.