Events

This is an immersive workshop designed to explore the transformative impact of storytelling. Through interactive sessions and hands-on activities, educators will discover how storytelling nurtures imagination, language skills, and social-emotional development in young learners. Participants will learn practical strategies for integrating storytelling into daily routines, uncover creative techniques, and explore its role in fostering cultural understanding and inclusive practices.   Facilitator Bio:   Lobna Ajaini is an ECE college professor in Ontario and founder of Childhood Empowerment, a platform dedicated to fostering creativity, leadership, and innovation in early childhood education. Holding a Bachelor of Engineering alongside a Master of Professional Education (MPED) in ECE, an Honours Bachelor in Early Childhood Leadership (HBECL), and a diploma in Early Childhood Education (RECE), Lobna combines technical problem-solving with imaginative pedagogies. She has held diverse roles in early childhood education/adult education and has received multiple awards and recognitions for her contributions. Passionate about Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB), Lobna designs workshops and curricula that empower educators, families, and children to co-create inclusive, creative, and meaningful learning experiences.   Participation: 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.

Strong relationships are the foundation of student success. This workshop is designed for educators working with school-age children and explores how building positive, affective relationships supports positive behaviour, emotional well-being, and academic achievement. Educators will learn practical strategies to strengthen relationships with students, foster a positive classroom community, and implement effective classroom management techniques that encourage self-regulation, conflict resolution, and respectful communication. Through reflection, discussion, and real-life scenarios, educators will leave with practical tools they can use immediately to create safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments.   Facilitator Bio: Donna is a full-time faculty member of Vanier College Early childhood education department. A part- time course lecturer at McGill University, she has spent the last 23 years teaching, supervising and supporting students on their journey to becoming educators. Donna is the founder of The Infinite Educator, an organization that provides childcare consulting and workshops to the English School boards and childcare facilities in Quebec. She has given workshops for LEARN QUEBEC, QAPPD conference, Sir Wilfred Laurier School Board, New Frontier School as well as many daycare facilities throughout Montreal.       Please note that participants must register individually to attend professional learning sessions. 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.

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.

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 :)

“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:)