Deani Van Pelt, PhD, is the President of Edvance Christian Schools Association, serving more than 100
independent schools across Ontario and the Maritime Provinces. With over three decades of
experience, Deani has served as a teacher in public and Christian schools, a homeschool parent, and
an Associate Professor of Education at Redeemer University. She holds a PhD in Educational Studies
from Western University and is passionate about advancing educational excellence and thoughtful
public policy.

Deani contributes nationally and internationally as a Senior Fellow at Cardus and the Fraser Institute,
and as a Professor of Practice in Charlotte Mason Studies at the University of Cumbria in the UK. She has chaired the Standards of Practice and Education Committee at the Ontario College of Teachers for the last 5 years. She is a co-author and editor of several works on education, including Awakening the Whole Child (Routledge, 2026) and Students as Persons (CMI, 2023).

Deani and her husband, Michael, live in Ancaster, Ontario, where they raised three children and are now
delighted to be grandparents, a role that continues to deepen her appreciation for the joy and wonder of
learning and the enduring truth that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these