Testimonials
Real Experiences - Meaningful Impact
Reflections from educators and organizations who have experienced REiL Learning
Katy facilitated training for our summer camp team, and her session was one of the most valuable parts of our staff development process. She created a welcoming, engaging environment and brought a warm, personable approach that immediately put everyone at ease. Katy is truly lovely to work with, and her genuine enthusiasm and ability to connect with people made the training both enjoyable and impactful.
One of the most valuable aspects of the training was the use of real-play scenarios. Rather than simply discussing concepts, Katy guided staff through realistic situations they are likely to encounter at camp, allowing them to practice responses, build confidence, and receive meaningful feedback. These exercises sparked thoughtful discussion and helped our team feel much more prepared for the summer ahead.
Katy's expertise, professionalism, and ability to connect theory to real-world practice made the training highly effective. Our staff left feeling more confident, equipped, and ready for the summer. We are incredibly grateful for her support and would highly recommend her to any organization looking to strengthen their team's skills, confidence, and capacity to support children and families.
Chelsea Madrick, HR Coordinator
Glenlyon Norfolk School
Katy facilitated a series of three virtual workshops specifically catered to the after-school program educator and used her REiL social-emotional framework to encourage reflection, pro-active strategies, and ways to support well-being for self and others. Katy uses a relaxed facilitation style that parallels the way we hope to be with and serve children and families. A quote she shared during the session was that “Anxiety is contagious, but so is calm” and this was enacted in the ways she created a sense of ease for all.
Her sessions were interactive and conversational, and she honoured and incorporated the knowledge and experience of the participants while including her own expertise and current research. It was a truly collaborative experience to work alongside Katy to offer this series. Feedback on the sessions was positive - Participants left feeling validated and equipped with practical tools, strategies, and reflections to support and engage all learners.
Early Childhood Services Anglophone East, New Brunswick
Katy was one of our sessional speakers at our recent Provincial ACE-bc Conference. She did her session on Incorporating social emotional learning into practice. She was very energetic and engaging! She connected right away with our group, and made the participants laugh, feel at ease, and feel that she really understood the current issues and concerns facing educators and community school coordinators, in schools right now. Katy shared some very helpful models and frameworks that support social and emotional learning and practice in out-of-school-time programs.
The conference attendees had time to work with the frameworks and models in small groups and the feedback was very positive. Folks appreciated Katy’s knowledge and experience, and the fact that she clearly respects children and the importance of honouring the different ways they learn and feel supported.
Gayle Beavil, President
ACEbc (The Association for Community Education in BC)
Working in partnership with Katy is a truly collaborative experience. Katy is responsive, respectful, and always maintains the learner at the heart of her work. The passion Katy shows through her work and modelling of being a teacher-learner is always present. Results are reflective of the desired outcomes and inclusive of diverse perspectives and ways of knowing. I always look forward to collaborations with Katy.
Christine Macer
Education Programs Manager
We were thrilled to have Katy Bigsby from Reil Learning present to our summer staff on Proactive Strategies for Tricky Situations. Katy’s session was engaging, practical, and deeply relevant to the challenges our team encounters in the Club setting. Her strategies truly resonated with our staff, who left feeling more confident and equipped to respond to difficult moments. If you are looking to strengthen your team's capacity to handle complex situations with professionalism and empathy - Katy can help!
Jess Newman
Director of Children's Programs
BGC Greater Halifax Clubs
Katy joined us to present to our team of 25 Educators that work with children aged 2.5 to 11 years old. She was able to skillfully tailor her information to suit all age groups. Her ability to engage all the staff during the workshop was truly remarkable, capturing the attention and interest of everyone. She provided practical tips and strategies that our staff could implement, making the workshop informative but also extremely useful. The feedback from our staff was overwhelmingly positive and they especially appreciated her ability to bring lightness and humor to the workshop. Katy spoke about children with great respect and professionalism. I wholeheartedly recommend Katy as a presenter, and we look forward to inviting her back for future training sessions.
Nicole Skoreyko, Executive Director
Arbutus Grove Children’s Centre
It was such a pleasure partnering with Katy at REiL Learning. From the beginning of our planning time together, Katy listened deeply and thoughtfully as she tailored a workshop for over 40 adult learners that work with kids and youth in education, out of school, and recreation programs. Her presentation was fun, engaging and responsive. The participants were so impressed by her knowledge and expertise and walked away feeling informed and inspired. I look forward to working with Katy again soon!
Sheri Brattston, Managing Director, Community Education
Burnaby School District
We had the opportunity to work with Katy twice this school year. Katy’s workshops were engaging and encouraged participation. Katy offers a flexible, open approach and worked with us before the dates to ensure that she was addressing our district's diverse needs. She listened carefully to participants and incorporated their experiences into the group activities and discussions. Katy provided a safe, inspiring space for participants. We all left feeling empowered and heard! We look forward to having Katy here again in the future.
Laura Syms, Professional Development Chair
Kamloops Thompson Teachers Association
Katy Bigsby uses a Social-Emotional Framework to facilitate change with rapport and thoughtful intention. Her unique background in Education and Social Work lends itself to a creative and collaborative approach to increasing engagement in formal and informal education programs. Through her interactive approach, participants are given the opportunity to reflect on their practice and receive feedback in a safe and supportive environment. Katy models how self-care is foundational to fostering environments where youth feel valued and cared for. She provides relevant strategies and up-to-date research with immediate takeaways. Katy is knowledgeable, kind, professional and enthusiastic- I highly recommend her workshops for anyone working with youth and/or young adults.
Alex Inglis, Health Promoting Schools Coordinator
School District 73 (Kamloops-Thompson)
Katy was a fantastic addition to the annual Training Weekend for the Camp Goodtimes team. She provided valuable insight and techniques for working with children presenting challenging behaviours as well as supporting children who experience anxiety. Not only was her workshop informative and engaging, but her approach and presentation style is so open minded and flexible which our team greatly appreciated. She helped prepare our team for an amazing summer at camp, thanks Katy!
John McCracken, Volunteer Support Specialist, Camp Goodtimes
Canadian Cancer Society
I love the work of Katy Bigsby! Empowering facilitators to lead and empower students… important, powerful and hugely effective work. As someone who works a lot with young people, I have been personally impacted and ‘upskilled' through participating in Katy’s training. Learning strategies to engage young people, in a respectful and meaningful way that thoughtfully enhances their lives was a great benefit to me! And Katy’s effervescent style of imparting creative and practical strategies to facilitators and teachers makes the training and working with her a real delight. I can’t recommend her highly enough!"
Daniel Duggan,
Executive at Rhythm Resource Inc
