Presenter: Christine Brown, At Last Forest Schools

Session 2: Exploring the Connection Between Mental Health and Nature; Thursday May 16, 2024, 6:30 - 8:00pm
We will dive deeper into the connection of mental health and nature when it comes to young minds. This will include discussions on anxiety, depression, nature deficit disorder, and more. We will discuss how nature can foster a deeper attachment for students with staff which in turn supports the child's learning elsewhere in the classroom.

This registration is for Session 2 in this series only.

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*This network session has been rescheduled from April 18

Niagara’s Licensed Child Care Cooks are invited to join together for a meeting to consider how they support their organization with budgeting, seasonal menu review and creation, incorporating seasonal foods and various allergies, and volume cooking. Participants are invited to bring a favourite recipe with them to share with the group. Resources will be sent ahead of time for participants to review for the meeting.

*For Niagara Educators/Cooks Only
**Participants are asked to meet at the ECCDC and will walk together to the Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site; you may wish to bring a chair.

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ECCDC’s organizational support team would like to invite Niagara’s child care supervisors to join their colleagues for discussion and reflection through community of practice networks in a peer to peer setting. The Networks will be exploring concepts and ideas related to current trends and research in the early learning field. During the networks, educators will be provided an opportunity to connect, listen, and consider next steps for their daily practice.

Supervisors are invited to join the Fundamentals of Building a Strong Collective Team Session 3 from 2:30 to 4:00 pm taking place before the Supervisor network meeting. Please register for that session separately.

*For Niagara Licensed Child Care Supervisors Only
Please note this session was previously advertised from 4:30 - 6pm.

This network session will take place at St. Catharines Regional Child Care Centre. Address will be in your registration confirmation email.

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Presenter: Dr. Debra Harwood

Wild play is a distinct and beneficial form of play rooted in real experiences, processes, and explorations where nature acts as the co-player. Wild play within untamed outdoor natural environments affords opportunities for complexity, spontaneity, curiosity, creativity, and entanglement. This presentation will focus on insights drawn from research focused on wild play programs where children are immersed within untamed natural areas repeatedly and over extended periods of time. By redefining what we mean by wild play in early childhood education fundamental shifts in the profession can be achieved and the experiences afforded to young children can be broadened. Supporting wild play within centre-based spaces will be showcased.

no charge - session is sponsored by Brock University – Faculty of Education

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Back by popular demand!

This series was created to help educators navigate the outdoors and offering opportunities to engage with loose parts, explore in all weathers, and encourage opportunities for children to challenge themselves to take a risk. Throughout this series, participants will have an opportunity to reflect and share experiences, brainstorm and engage in group discussions, immerse themselves in hands-on experiences, identify connections to Ontario’s Early Learning Frameworks, and strategize how to weave their learning into their daily practice through action planning.

Session 2: Outdoor Play Throughout the Year; Thursday May 30, 2024; 6:30-9:00pm
As Canadians, we are fortunate to have four distinct seasons in which to incorporate outdoor play throughout the year. In this session we will develop an understanding of outdoor play that can be shared with families and colleagues as well as highlight the benefits of outdoor play while using low cost/no cost strategies and materials that can be implemented into your program to support daily outdoor play. We will also look at global outdoor play trends as well as other related concepts that we can transition into our outdoor programs. Finally, we’ll review ECCDC’s Naturalized Play Space Project where the learning highlighted the importance of outdoor play in relation to children’s development and the play experiences offered throughout the seasons.

*Presented in Person in Niagara (Meeting at ECCDC Conference Room, 3550 Schmon Parkway, Thorold and Walking to Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site)

Registration fee for Niagara Educators is subsidized through funding provided by Niagara Region Children's Services.

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with Author Jacob Rodenburg

The average child spends more than 7.5 hours in front of a glowing screen and less than 20 minutes per day in unstructured outdoor play. They are more likely to remember the names of dozens of corporate logos than to be able to recognize even just a few local plants, birds, and mammals. In this interactive workshop, award-winning educator and author Jacob Rodenburg will offer up examples of fun, hands-on strategies for reconnecting children to nature. We’ll dance like bees, follow scent trails, design micro-trails, sing like frogs, create beautiful nature art, learn how to become a bird “whisperer”, and more! Jacob will offer up creative ideas on how to nurture stewards – children who care for each other and the Earth we all share.

(sponsored through funding provided by Niagara Region Children’s Services)

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With Janet Nezon.

This interactive workshop series will focus on supporting children’s well-being and development through promoting positive experiences with food. This three-part series will include sessions that provide strategies for nurturing children’s healthy development, mindful eating practices, as well as bringing joy back to the table.

Session 3: Peas and Harmony: Bringing Joy Back to the Table; Monday June 3, 2024
Did you know that how you feed children is just as important as what you feed them? Helping children cultivate a relaxed and positive relationship with food and eating makes mealtimes less stressful for everyone. Kids who are comfortable at the table are much more likely to try, eat, and ENJOY a variety of foods. Early childhood is the ideal time to help children establish food preferences and eating behaviours that will last throughout adulthood.
Join Janet Nezon, the founder of Rainbow Plate, for an informal and interactive workshop that will give you a clear picture of how to make this happen. You’ll learn the principles behind this approach and simple, practical strategies for making mealtimes more comfortable for everyone at the table.

Sponsored through funding provided by Niagara Region Children’s Services.

This registration is for Session 3 in the series only.

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Session three in the Flourishing in the Early Years: Strategies for Promoting an Equitable and Discrimination-Free Early Learning Environment Series.

This series is being offered by Dane Marco Di Cesare, PhD, Assistant Professor, Brock University, Faculty of Education. Dane will offer strategies to support early childhood educators in providing an environment free of gender identity and gender expression discrimination through creating gender-inclusive and gender-affirming spaces.

Session Three: Supporting Diverse Family Dynamics in the Early Learning Environment; Tuesday June 4, 2024; 6:30-8:30pm

Sponsored by Brock University – Faculty of Education.

This registration is for Session 3 in the series only.

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Presenter: Marg Van Herk-Paradis, President, Senior Consultant, Credence and Co.

Leadership can be demanding – especially when navigating the realities of trauma that may be impacting oneself, one’s colleagues, and one’s clients. This session defines trauma, explores how trauma impacts interpersonal interactions, and proposes strategies for engaging others thoughtfully, including during trauma-impacted interactions.

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Presenter: Christine Brown, At Last Forest Schools

Session 3: Not Just Child’s Play – The Benefits of Nature for Educator Wellbeing; Thursday June 13, 2024, 6:30 - 8:00pm
We as educators can benefit from going into nature on a regular basis, but this can be a difficult task. This is particularly true when we can do it in our workplace to alleviate daily stressors and increase our mental wellbeing. Learn ways to better our minds while in nature and with our students.

This registration is for Session 3 in this series only.

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Back by popular demand!

This series was created to help educators navigate the outdoors and offering opportunities to engage with loose parts, explore in all weathers, and encourage opportunities for children to challenge themselves to take a risk. Throughout this series, participants will have an opportunity to reflect and share experiences, brainstorm and engage in group discussions, immerse themselves in hands-on experiences, identify connections to Ontario’s Early Learning Frameworks, and strategize how to weave their learning into their daily practice through action planning.

Session 3: Risky Play Throughout the Day; Thursday June 20, 2024; 6:30-9:00pm
Children’s play contains an element of risk, and this session looks at opportunities for risky play being woven into a child’s day. Participants will explore what risk is and develop an understanding of risky play. What would be the implications of risk-averse attitudes towards play? Participants will be encouraged to have an open dialogue to brainstorm the ‘why’ behind offering elements of risk and challenge for children. As a group, we’ll review and learn about the importance of risky play in relation to children’s development and play experiences using up-to-date theories, research documents, and frameworks as a way to increase educator knowledge and confidence.

*Presented in Person in Niagara (Meeting at ECCDC Conference Room, 3550 Schmon Parkway, Thorold and Walking to Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site)

Registration fee for Niagara Educators is subsidized through funding provided by Niagara Region Children's Services.

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