Cameile Henry How she became a guiding light for children and educators.

“From shy girl to global educator, coach, and award-winning author, Cameile Henry transforms trauma into tools for resilience in early childhood education.”

In the gentle rhythm of the Caribbean, on the twin-island republic of Trinidad & Tobago, a baby girl named Cameile was born into a loving and tightly knit family, the youngest of seven children. Her father, Victor Henry, made the first bold move to Canada, later followed by her mother, Pearl, and all six siblings. At just six months old, Cameile left her island home for Canada. By the age of three, she had settled into the quiet town of Orangeville, Ontario, where the contours of her early life would be shaped.

Her childhood was marked by a pivotal memory: winning a spelling contest and being met not with applause, but with a racial slur. Called the N-word by a peer, young Cameile withdrew into herself. “I became more comfortable sitting in the background,” she later shared. “It’s also why I feel such deep empathy for the quiet children; the ones sitting in the corner, shy and often overlooked, because I was one of them.”

Art and drama soon became her sanctuary. At Princess Elizabeth Public School, she found refuge in creativity. “Drama allowed me to escape to another world, to immerse myself in another reality,” she said. She loved painting, even if she didn’t consider herself “very good.” It was about freedom. In those creative spaces, she didn’t have to fit into any mold. She could simply be.

By the time she was 13, Cameile had moved to Toronto and was enrolled in acting classes by her mother, who hoped to encourage her daughter’s dreams of modeling or performing, but the stage didn’t liberate her; it confined her. “Acting doesn’t allow you to be creative in the way I needed. You’re saying someone else’s lines. I didn’t come out of my shell; I went further in.”

Instead, she found her calling in children: transparent, honest, unpretentious beings. In Grade 6, she began babysitting and discovered the quiet joy of being entrusted with young lives. It was empowering.

Cameile’s teenage years were spent in the Jane and Finch corridor, where she attended Jane Junior High and later Westview Centennial Secondary School. There, she dove into Black history and culture, but also experienced bullying and racial labeling (being called an “Oreo” by classmates). In those moments, she turned inward once more, masking inner turmoil with outward composure. “I helped people with their homework to survive socially,” she remembered. A misfit in many ways, her intellect became her anchor.

After high school, she pursued a diploma in Travel and Tourism from Seneca College, intending to explore the world, but her passion for working with children endured. In 1992, she earned her Early Childhood Education diploma with Honours from George Brown College. Later, she completed both her Bachelor of Arts with Distinction and her Master of Arts in Early Childhood Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) in 2006 and 2007, respectively.

Her time at George Brown’s Lab Schools and Queen Street Child Care Centre profoundly impacted her trajectory. “It was one of the few places where I could see myself and explore the world through children’s perspectives,” she said. These environments unleashed her creativity.

From there, Cameile’s teaching journey took flight. She began as a Teacher’s Assistant at TMU in 2006 and moved into instructor roles at George Brown College. By 2008, she joined Sheridan College as a professor in the Early Childhood Education program, where she has been shaping future educators for over 15 years. Known for her warmth and wisdom, she’s received glowing feedback from students and colleagues alike.

Cameile’s impact doesn’t end in the classroom.

She co-founded Strengthening Hands with her brother-in-law, Dr. George Ashley. The organization offers global educational resources and empowerment services for agencies serving children. Together, they’ve co-authored 12 children’s books, each paired with handcrafted crochet dolls that make the stories tactile and unforgettable. As a foster parent to over 20 children, Cameile brings real-life insight to her work. “Our stories are grounded in real experiences,” she said. “They’re designed to affirm, empower, and build resilience in children navigating complex emotions.”

Her accolades include the 2024 Women of Colour in Business Award and a 2024 CIBWE Award. She’s also certified as a facilitator in: Kids Have Stress Too, Positive Parenting, Circle of Security, and the HighScope Curriculum. As an international trainer in “The Positive Discipline Way,” she equips educators and parents with the tools to nurture responsibility and self-discipline in children.

Cameile’s expertise is woven into cultural and educational productions as well. She serves as the Educational and Diversity Consultant for Jeremy and Jazzy Productions’ animated musical series, where she ensures that equity and inclusion are built into every story and song.

Her dedication extends to spiritual education as well; she served as the Children’s Ministries Facilitator for the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Ontario from 2020 to 2023, delivering workshops on learning styles, child development, and self-esteem.

Her body of work spans continents. She’s developed field manuals for international placements in Hong Kong and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. She’s presented at conferences, published in journals such as: The Journal of Adventist Education and AECEO, and co-authored a book on race and multiculturalism.

Even the global crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and the murder of George Floyd were opportunities for reflection and transformation. The events affected her deeply—especially through the eyes of her then-eight-year-old son. “They sparked urgent conversations in our household and my classrooms about justice, equity, and the emotional lives of children.”

Through it all, Cameile Henry lives by a single, unwavering mantra from Maya Angelou, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

And she has…