Events

“Courageous conversations mean having the courage to show up when you can’t control the outcome.” ~ Brené Brown The ECDA is excited to host ECE Sharing and Networking sessions. These are open door meetings that welcome anyone working as a front-line educator. These meetings will provide space to gather with other early childhood educators to share what is on your heart or to seek support. The meetings are a place to listen, provide encouragement, share resources, and connect with your colleagues across the province. We would love to welcome at least one ECE from every Island centre to the network, and we realize some meeting dates will work better than others - so come when you can! The agenda for these sessions will be very flexible and will build over time based on the interest of those participating. Recently we have discussed things such as Dual Language Learners, Behaviours, PD wishes and many other! Come join us this month to see what comes up:) Registration for network meetings is required. This meeting will run with a minimum of 4 participants. These will be held once a month, so come when you can! Based on feedback we have flipped these to be entirely virtual:)  

The School Age Supervisor\'s Network Meeting will take place on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Based on your feedback, we\'re now offering a hybrid option for this session. This network is open to all supervisors, directors, and administrators of licensed school-age programs. Our goal is to foster open conversation and collaboration to improve quality practices related to human resources, policies, pedagogy, and leadership. We welcome you to attend as you are, whenever you can, if you are in a supervisor position. During each meeting, we will share insights, support one another in our professional and pedagogical roles, delve into topics of interest and current trends, and address daily practices. Together, we will focus on solutions and engage in lively, respectful discussions. We would love to see representatives from every school-age center as we continue to support each other. Please feel free to bring a colleague—we look forward to meeting you or welcoming you back.

This session will help participants explore strategies to transform everyday play into rich opportunities for building key language and literacy skills all young children need to become successful readers. Through hands-on activities and practical examples, participants will learn why skills like oral language, listening and comprehension, print awareness, letter-sound connections, and early writing are so important, and how to naturally build these skills through play in any learning environment. --------- Facilitator Bio: The Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation (CCLF) is committed to ensuring that all children in Canada, particularly those from underserved communities, become proficient readers and achieve their full potential. We accomplish this by leveraging existing systems and resources to provide critical foundational literacy support to children.     A reminder as this is a free session, ECDA has a payment policy for this-- Failure to attend will result in a $20 Admin fee being applied to your account, and you must pay this prior to attending any future free sessions. This policy has been implemented due to many no-shows at events. We value our facilitators and their time, and we often have to cap session capacity so not showing up for an event impacts others who may have wanted to attend.    Participants will be given the link to the video and are required to participate in one of two ways-- with a microphone/built in speaker or through the chat. In addition there will be a log tracking which members contribute and which do not, and those that do not contribute will not receive PD hours. We ask that you leave your camera on for the session.

Morning: A Panel and Discussion with Leaders in ELCC from Across the Country Join us as we host the Canadian Child Care Federation, Staff and Board, for a discussion focused on the Early Learning and Child Care Workforce, from a National Lens. Topics will include: recruitment and retention, flexible schedules, rural retention, creative way to support your staff, how to highlight voices from the frontline, strategies for fostering an inclusive work environment and so much more! This promises to be a dynamic morning, full of ideas, where leaders near and far will share their insights and experiences in addressing both the challenges and opportunities within the sector. Don\\\\\\\\\\'t miss this opportunity to connect with advocates and peers dedicated to advancing early childhood education and care from across the country. Kathleen Flanagan, ELCC researcher and special guest will present the new National Statement on Quality Early Learning and Child Care she has been updating in partnership with an Advisory Committee including representatives of the CCCF Board of Directors, Provincial Territorial Affiliates/Partners, and CCCF staff. Afternoon:  Eddie Lemoine-- "The 21st Century Workplace: Leading in a Changing Landscape" This interactive session will explore the evolving workforce dynamics in early childhood education and how leaders can adapt to attract and retain talent. With shifting expectations—such as the desire for flexible work arrangements and a new generation advocating for their needs—leaders must rethink traditional staffing models and workplace culture. Participants will gain insights into strategies that foster engagement, resilience, and collaboration across generations while ensuring centers remain fulfilling places to work.

LINK TO REGISTER: https://ecda.aor360.ca/ The ECDA of PEI is excited to announce the name for this year’s Spring Conference: "Planing Seeds of Change." This name reflects our shared commitment to growth, innovation, and positive transformation in early learning and child care. Through engaging sessions, inspiring speakers, and meaningful discussions, we’ll explore how small changes today can lead to lasting impacts for children, families, educators, and Island communities. Let’s come together to cultivate new ideas, nurture professional growth, and plant the seeds for a brighter future! While there is much to learn, this event isn\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t all about serious topics. We\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'ll sprinkle in some lighthearted fun to keep the atmosphere lively. Plus, we\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'re excited to bring back beloved facilitators and introduce fresh faces to make our event even more engaging! We can’t wait to greet you for this amazing event! Full event details are outlined in the conference booklet attached below! Schedule: · 8:30 - 10:00 -- Morning Breakout Session* · 10:00 - 10:30 -- Discovery Break · 10:30 - 11:30 -- Morning Breakouts Continued · 11:30 - 12:45 -- Lunch · 12:45 - 2:00 -- Afternoon Breakouts · 2:00 - 2:30 -- Discovery Break · 2:30 - 3:45 -- Afternoon Breakouts Continued *Note: There will not be registration at the Spring Conference. Attendees must head directly to their morning break-out session by 8:30 AM *Payment is due in full prior to attending. Registration closes on April 26th at Midnight