Events

A 6-hour professional development workshop exclusive to directors of licensed child care centres on PEI. Spend the day with Jennifer Nangreaves and Megan Drummond delving into the Onboarding Toolkit - A Guide for Directors. The ECDA has created this ready-to-use resource and workshop training through funding from the Government of Canada and the Government of Prince Edward Island.  This workshop is designed to support Island leaders in implementing and enhancing a robust employee onboarding process. We will spend the day reviewing the Onboarding Toolkit - A Guide for Directors and practical processes within it. If you are curious about onboarding and why it is integral to creating a culture of excellence in your centre, this workshop is for you! 

Note: You must be logged in to your ECDA account to register.Start the celebration early, take the Party Shuttle! We are excited to offer a Party Shuttle for the ECE Week & Award Celebration on Saturday, February 7th, transporting members from Stratford to the Credit Union Place in Summerside, with pick-up and drop-off stops in Charlottetown, Hunter River, and Kensington.This is not your average bus ride. The shuttle experience will kick off celebrations early with music, games, prizes, and high energy all the way to Summerside. Ticket Cost (Roundtrip Only) $20 - Stratford, Charlottetown, or Hunter River $10 - Kensington Note: One-way tickets are not available. If you’re looking for a quiet ride,  this one’s not for you! The music will be loud, the games will be lively, and the prizes will be flying! Pick-Up & Drop-Off Locations Stratford: Milestone Charlottetown: Kay’s Wholesale (old Sears) parking lot Hunter River: Hunter River ELC Kensington: Mike’s Your Independent Grocer parking lot As this shuttle service is being offered on a trial basis, we have selected central pick-up and drop-off locations for this year’s celebration. This approach allows us to assess interest and feasibility for future shuttle options. If you would like to see shuttle service expanded to additional regions in the future, or offered during conferences, please share your thoughts by email to [email protected]. Pick-Up Schedule 5:30 PM - Stratford 5:50 PM - Charlottetown 6:20 PM - Hunter River 6:50 PM - Kensington 7:00 PM - Arrive Summerside (Credit Union Place) Drop-Off Schedule 10:10 PM - Summerside 10:30 PM - Kensington 10:50 PM - Hunter River 11:10 PM - Charlottetown 11:30 PM - Stratford Rules & Notes All tickets are roundtrip, whether you board the bus or not If you are not at your stop by the scheduled departure time, the bus will leave without you (no refunds) No alcohol permitted on the shuttle Treat others with respect Have fun! Don't forget to register for the ECE Week & Awards Celebration: Click Here! Special Refund Policy:Due to the shuttle company’s cancellation policy, no ticket refunds can be made after Wednesday, February 4th, unless the ECE Week & Award Celebration is cancelled.

Note: You must be logged in to your ECDA account to register. ECDA Members join us for a night to celebrate YOU! We are thrilled to invite you to a member-exclusive ECE Week & Award Celebration at the Credit Union Place in Summerside! This evening is dedicated to honouring and celebrating the incredible work of PEI's Early Childhood Educators and support staff. This is your night to shine, connect, and celebrate with peers who share your passion and impact. Evening Highlights: Award Ceremony: Celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions of our fellow Island Early Childhood Educators. DJ & Dancing: Hit the dance floor and enjoy classic favourites that will keep you moving and make the evening unforgettable with Music Dee-Lite. Have a song request: Submit it here: DJ Requests Fun & Games: Enjoy giant games, board games, a photo booth, and more fun surprises throughout the evening. Appetizers & Cash Bar: Light bites, a cash bar, and a CANDY BAR will be available all night to keep you refreshed and energized. RSVP and Giveaway: Don’t miss your chance to secure your spot and be part of this special celebration! RSVP by Friday, January 30th, 2026, to be entered into a draw to win 1 of 5 amazing prizes. To be eligible for the giveaway, you must RSVP by the deadline and attend the event. Let’s come together to celebrate, connect, and recognize the dedication and impact of our incredible Island ECE's We can't wait to share this memorable evening with you!Members, REGISTER NOW! (You must be logged in to your ECDA account to register.) Book your seat on the Party Shuttle for ECE Week & Award Celebration: HERE! Do you know an excellent educator who deserves to be celebrated? Submit your nomination before Friday, January 9th: Click Here!

Practice Based Coaching is a valuable training model for individuals who are in a mentor role, such as directors, supervisors, lead educators, and pedagogical leaders. This training facilitates coaching and mentoring to support educators in early years settings to grow and scaffold on their daily practices with children, families and co-educators. Practice Based Coaching is directly aligned with the Pyramid Model and its foundational components are universal to all Early Years practitioners in mentoring roles.   Practice-Based Coaching (PBC) is a professional development model aimed at improvising the practices of educators through ongoing, structured support. It focuses on the actual implementation of practices of Pyramid Model in early childhood settings, helping individuals refine their skills by engaging in cycles of planning, action, observation, and reflection. It is designed to be ongoing coaching support, allowing individuals to continuously refine their skills and adapt to new challenges. It is commonly used in education, early childhood care, and other fields that require continuous professional development. This training will help you understand how to coach, ask reflective questions, engage your educators to grow, and build your educators capacity to implement Pyramid Model practices ongoing.   Carolyn Porter is an ASaP Coach with Kids Included. Her role is to support educators implementing the Pyramid Model in their childcare rooms to ensure all children's participation and belonging through responsive relationships, quality inclusive environments and supportive learning opportunities. She has lived in Grande Prairie for 9 years and lived in Ontario before that. Carolyn has 20 years’ experience working in child care in different roles (educator, director, supervisor, support). When she is not working, she is doing things with her 2 children and husband and baking sourdough.

The Director Network Meeting gathers on the third Wednesday of each month from 9:30 am - 12:00 pm.  We are happy to provide a hybrid meeting space, with the option to meet in-person at the ECDA Boardroom or via Zoom, to help with travel house ratio i.e., if you're cooking lunch. This network is open to all supervisors, directors, and administrators of licensed early learning and childcare programs. The intention of the group is to encourage open conversation and collaboration to enhance quality practices, such as human resource practices and policies, pedagogy, and leadership. We have an open-door policy for all network meetings, we invite you to come as you are, when you can, if you are in a supervisor position! We will share and support each other in our professional and pedagogical roles. Each meeting we will spend our time together thinking more deeply about topics of interest, current trends and daily practice. We will approach problems from a solution-based lens together and have lively and respectful round table discussions. We would love to have someone from every centre join us as we continue to support one another through the journey! Bring yourself, invite a friend, and we can't wait to meet you, or see you again :)