Josee Lebel

Beyond the Blackboard Educational Consulting Founder and Executive Director Josée Lebel is a bilingual educator with over 15 years of educational programming experience in schools, science centres, and museums across Canada. She combines her classroom teacher experience with her informal learning expertise to provide organizations with unique insight as to the challenges and opportunities of developing educational programs in informal settings.

significant achievements

Teacher
Kitsilano Secondary School, Vancouver

  • taught Science 8-10, Social Studies 10, Environmental Studies 10, and Biology 11 in French Immersion and English
  • co-teacher sponsor of the Sustainability Action Club

Vancouver Technical Secondary School, Vancouver

  • taught Science 8-10, Social Studies 10, Environmental Studies 10, and Biology 11 in French Immersion and English

Head of School Programmes
H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Vancouver

  • elaborated departmental budgets, marketed school programs, and made monthly progress reports to the board of directors
  • designed, piloted, and evaluated a videoconference science program for rural schools
  • researched, developed and delivered K-12 in-house and outreach workshops in both French and English
  • recruited, trained and supervised education staff and workshop facilitators
  • implemented a French program strategy and secured government funding to hire francophone staff

Teacher Professional Development
H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Vancouver

  • taught two semesters of a UBC post-graduate course entitled Earth and Space Science Beyond the Textbook
  • developed and delivered professional development workshops throughout BC to help teachers jumpstart the Earth and Space Science component of the K-7 curriculum (engagingscience.org)

Environmental Resource Centre Coordinator
Society Promoting Environmental Conservation, Vancouver

  • coordinated education and outreach workshops on a variety of environmental subjects
  • developed a volunteer-mentor program for university students and graduates
  • served as francophone media liaison

Show Coordinator and Training Video Producer
Museum of Science and Technology, Ottawa

  • coordinated the Big Bouncing Ball Show, the museum's first-ever interactive "show"
  • researched concepts, composed show's script, trained and supervised interpreters, coordinated schedules, performed in the show, and provided a detailed report on the strengths and weaknesses of the show to the museum's administration

Science Interpreter
Science North, Sudbury, Ontario; Science World, Vancouver, BC

Employment Officer (Bilingual Rep and Outreach)
Canada Employment Centre for Students, Vancouver

  • delivered job search technique workshops to schools, groups, and organizations dealing with youth (high school and university level; youth-at-risk; youth with disabilities; ESL)
  • promoted and booked workshops, established a contact list and provided new leads
  • hosted a weekly employment segment on Radio-Canada
professional development

Masters of Education - Science Communication (2009) University of Dalarna, Sweden

Bachelor of Education - Biology in French Immersion, Secondary Option (2003) University of British Columbia

  • Recipient of the Henry and Lily Kung Award in Education

Bachelor of Science - Ecology and Environmental Biology (1997) University of British Columbia

Project Management Course, Vancouver Community College (2011)

volunteering

Lower Mainland Museum Educators Group (Chair)

  • Chair an informal group of museum and science centre educators from the Lower Mainland who meet regularly to network, share experiences, learn about new ideas and discuss issues related to our field. Our meetings are friendly and informal opportunities for professional development and are open to anybody interested in informal learning environments
  • Find and invite speakers for bimonthly meetings

Science World's Super Science Club (Science Facilitator)

  • occasionally deliver the "Club Sciences" program at lunch time at Ecole Anne-Hebert

Association francophone pour le savoir (BC Chapter President)

  • Facilitated learning opportunities for francophones in the GVRD
  • Obtained funding to invite science interpreters from informal education organizations in Quebec to deliver fun and motivating science workshops in GVRD francophone schools
  • Secured a 30 000$ grant over three years to create science kits and professional development workshops to aid K-12 Conseil Scolaire Francophone teachers

BC Green Games– Advisory Committee and Judge

  • provide suggestions and feedback about content and usability as the BC Green Games is developed, implemented and evaluated
  • judged entries submitted by BC schools
Collaborators
  • iPads in the classroom
  • Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL)
  • Strategic Planning
  • Adaptation of existing programs for various communities of learners
  • New Market Identification
  • Partnership Development
  • Project Management
  • Funding opportunities and proposal writing
  • Staff Training and Recruiting
  • Professional Development
  • Program Evaluation
  • Educational Program Research and Development
  • Bilingual Program Implementation
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