Name: Bruce Hardy

Age: 60

Location: Surrey, B.C., Canada

Biography
I began working with kids in 1969 when I was hired to work at a children’s summer camp. I loved the work and I loved the energy of the people that I worked with. I did residential care for about 10 years and then felt the need both to run things and to upgrade my education. The running things part led to a long run leading social service agencies across Canada. I did this for many years, finally stopping in 2005 when I began to teach full time. I had taught part-time for many years but in 2005 I was offered a full time position at Douglas College in New Westminster BC.

My other goal of upgrading my education led to a MEd in counseling, an MA in Liberal studies and finally to a PhD from the University of Victoria in Child and Youth care. Today I teach in our fulltime degree program as well as consulting and lecturing across Canada and the United States

How I came to be in this field
A friend in university asked me if I needed a summer job. I said yes and never really left.

My favourite quote
Rowdy Roddy Piper used to say that “just when you think that you know the answer, I change the question” It’s a quote that I remember whenever I become too full of myself.

My favourite child and youth care experience
Every day that I get to teach, every new class, every new student; all of this is my favorite cyc experience. I feel so lucky to be able to teach and to learn from a new generation of cyc workers.

What I know to be true

If you do not form a relationship with a child, you cannot help him or her to do anything. Relationship first, all else second.
Kids are good, all kids, no exceptions.
You will make mistakes and that is how you will learn. No mistakes, less learning.
Montreal Canadians are Canada’s team. If you have to ask why, you either are not Canadian or not a hockey fan. Or you live in Vancouver and just do not know any better.

A writing of my own
Child and youth care as a profession
http://www.cyc-net.org/cyc-online/cycol-0305-edCYC.html

My influences
My wife Dianne, my boys, all students and so many teachers, mentors and friends. And like many of them, the full 1970’s experience.

Anything else
The BC government ended mandatory retirement and so I am good to go for a long time.