Vanessa Currie has spent the last two decades working in children’s rights with a focus on children’s participation in their own protection. She is passionate about engaging children, youth, families, and communities in imagining systemic change and working together to implement shared solutions. Currie uses participatory research approaches to explore challenging situations together with young people and their intergenerational allies that help create sustainable solutions.
She has a special interest in young people’s wellbeing and uses art, play and nature-based research methods that reinforce young people’s connection with their identity, sense of belonging and wellbeing.
Experience
Currie has extensive experience working in North America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East leading child and family-centered participatory research, participatory action research and monitoring, evaluation and learning initiatives. She is the Executive Director of the International Institute for Child Rights and Development, a Canadian-based charity affiliated with Royal Roads University. She works to support children and their families impacted by adversity to take the lead in creating transformative solutions to the issues they face.
Education
2007
Masters of Arts in International Child Welfare (Highest Distinction)
University of East Anglia, England
1998
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
University of British Columbia
Publications
Butler, K., Currie, V., Reid, K. and Wright, L. (2021). Make Our Voices Count: Children and young people’s responses to a global survey for the Day of General Discussion 2021 on Children’s Rights and Alternative Care. IICRD, Family for Every Child and Hope and Homes for Children.
Currie, V., Wright, L., & Manion, K. (2021). Children's Clubs and their role in Safeguarding Children from Violence in Schools: A Guide for Children and Young people in Children’s Clubs: Based on findings from a global research study on children’s clubs. IICRD.
Manion, K., Lee, L., Currie, V., Wright, L., Raman, W., & Cislaghi, B., (2021). Regional Research on Violence Against Children in Schools in South East Europe. Report prepared for Terre des hommes.
Manion, K., Wright, L., & Currie, V. (2020). Role of Children's Clubs in Safeguarding of Children in Schools. IICRD. Prepared for the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children.
Currie, V., Wright, L, Veitch, H., Mayevskaya, Y and Rogers, L. (2020). Children as Partners in Child Protection in COVID-19 Guide: From Participation to Partnerships. IICRD, CPC Learning Network, Child Protection Global Cluster, UNICEF and IFRC.
Lee, L., Currie, V., Saied, N. and Wright, L. (2020) Journey to Hope, Self-Expression and Community Engagement: Youth-led Arts-based Participatory Action Research. Children and Youth Services Review, 109.
Bombay, A., McQuaid, R.J., Young, J., Singha, V., Currie, V., Anisman, H., and Matheson, K. (2020) Familial Attendance at Indian Residential School and Subsequent Involvement in the Child Welfare System Among Indigenous Adults Born During the Sixties Scoop Era. First People’s Child and Family Review, 15(1), 62-79.
Currie, V. Lee, L. and Wright L. (2019) YouCreate Art-kit: Participatory Action Research for Young Change-makers. International Institute for Child Rights and Development and Terre des Hommes.
Robinson, D., Robinson, I. Currie, V. & Hall, N. (2019) The Syrian Canadian Sports Club: A Community-based Participatory Action Research Project with/for Syrian Youth Refugees. Special Issue: Integration and Resettlement of Refugees and Forced Migrants. Social Sciences, 8, 163.
Fox, A., Currie, V. & Brennan, E. (2018) Turning AHA! moments into sustained community change: Evaluation and next steps for Arts and Health programming in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, Vol.30, Issue 2, p57-68.
Currie, V., Fox, A., Brennan, E. & Clement, C. (2017) Exploring Arts-based Programming in Health and Wellbeing: A project evaluation, literature review and summary report. Antigonish, Nova Scotia: St. Francis Xavier University.
Currie, V. & Sinha, V. (2015) What is the history of the government’s provision of child welfare services to First Nations? CWRP Information Sheet #147E. Montreal, QC: Centre for Research on Children and Families. (Lead authorship on 10 Information Sheets in this series.)
Ney, T., Currie, V., Maloney, M., Reeves, C., Ridington, J., Ridington, R., & Zwickel, J. (2014) Traditional Decision Making in Contemporary Child Welfare: Relying on Dane-zaa Laws to Care for and Protect Children and Families. In Adebayo, A., Benjamin, J., & Lundy, B. (Eds.) Indigenous Conflict Management Strategies: Global Perspectives (pp.33-52). Plymouth, United Kingdom: Lexington Books.
Currie, V. (2013) Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours on Violence Against Children, South Sulawesi Research Study. Jakarta, Indonesia: Centre for Child Protection, University of Indonesia.
Currie, V. & Heykoop, C. (2012) Child and Youth-Centred Accountability: A Guide for Involving Young People in Monitoring & Evaluation of Child Protection Systems. Victoria, BC: International Institute for Child Rights and Development.
Nelems, M. & Currie, V. (2012) Listening to Iraqi refugee children in Jordan, but then what? Exploring the impact of participatory research with children. Development in Practice, Special Issue: Child Protection in Development, Vol 22, Issue 4, London: UK.
Currie, V., Tanta-atipanit, S. & Preetiprasong, I. (2012) Engaging Young People In the Safe and Creative Use of ICT: The Child Protection Partnership’s ICT Child Safe Curriculum. Bangkok, Thailand: Plan International.
Currie, V. & Heykoop, C. (2011). Circle of Rights: Intentional Planning for Social Change Manual. Victoria, BC: International Institute for Child Rights and Development.