Centre for Research and Childhood Studies
The Centre for Research and Childhood Studies (CRCS) is an interdisciplinary research hub within the Faculty of Education, Health, and Human Development at Capilano University (CapU).
CRCS brings together faculty from the Early Childhood Care and Education Department and Capilano University Children’s Centre, along with other key partners, to engage in reconceptualist research in childhood studies.
This research focuses on anti-colonialism, anti-racism, materialist feminism, and post-structural and (post) qualitative methodologies, all of which challenge dominant narratives about childhood and education.
Through this work, CRCS seeks to foster a deeper understanding of childhood that values diversity, complexity, and the rejection of traditional power structures in education. CRCS is dedicated to making visible the colonial legacy in Canada and the ongoing systems that continue to uphold colonialism.
The centre recognizes the role of education in perpetuating colonial structures and is committed to fostering research, citational, and pedagogical practices that respond to the Calls to Action outlined by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
CRCS also acknowledges that Capilano University is located on the never-ceded territories of the LíỈwat, xʷməθkʷəỷəm (Musqueam), shíshálh (Sechelt), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and SəỈílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. The university is honored to partner with the Líl̓wat Nation through the Ts̓zil Learning Centre, a post-secondary facility operated on Líl̓wat land.
All research and practices within CRCS honour Indigenous sovereignty, particularly in the context of early childhood education, as outlined in the Federal Indigenous Early Learning and Care Framework and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
As a member of the International Association of Laboratory Schools (IALS), CRCS views laboratory schools and partner early learning centers as dynamic pedagogical spaces where children, families, educators, students and researchers can collaborate to reimagine early childhood education practices.
CRCS engages in research that positions educators and children as co-researchers, encouraging exploration of the unknown and the possible in educational contexts.
This collaborative, inquiry-based approach resists methodologies that treat educators, children, students, or families as mere objects of study, instead fostering active participation and critical reflection.
Journal of Childhoods and Pedagogies
In 2016, CRCS launched Capilano University’s first interdisciplinary open-access academic journal, The Journal of Childhoods and Pedagogies.
This open-source publication provides a platform for students, educators, and researchers—locally and globally—to engage with innovative and exploratory approaches to early childhood education, particularly in areas of childhoods, pedagogies and curriculum.
The journal offers immediate open access to its content, reflecting the belief that making research freely available supports greater global knowledge exchange, inclusivity, and accessibility.
