This year’s ECEBC conference, “Strengthening Connections Through Our Cultures and Practices”, will offer “opportunities to learn more about each other’s cultures and innovative practices to make our ECE culture and our own practice stronger.”, offering workshops that “give a First Nations perspective, examine how best to support newcomer families and integrate diversity into your program, and focus on pedagogical documentation, Reggio Emilia, and nature/forest preschools” amongst many other topics.

• Monique Gray Smith will explore resiliency with Indigenous children and families in Friday’s keynote address, and as well there will be a panel discussion on Making It Real: Strengthening Connections through Our Cultures and Practices. Denise Hodgins, researcher, pedagogical facilitator and instructor, will talk about integrating innovative practices in ECE education in Saturday’s keynote. In addition, on Friday and Saturday, there will be a range of workshops. On Saturday, there are closed workshops on Building Bridges Through Understanding the Village* withKathi Camilleri * This will be a closed session for StrongStart facilitators only. (They are currently fully subscribed, with a waiting list.)

Thursday offers a full pre-Conference day of events, including:

• “Building Leadership in Early Childhood Education”, a full day of workshops on developing leadership skills by leaders in ECE and organizations working for social change
• “Best Choices: The Ethical Journey”, including four different workshops exploring the many ethical issues faced in ECE practice.
• Two childcare centre tours on Thursday evening: “one to a new and innovative nature-based preschool and one to a centre that puts culture at the forefront of their program”.

The conference includes the ECEBC AGM on Friday, May 1 from 1:00 – 2:00 pm and a Trade & Resource Fair all day Friday, May 1 and until 2:00 pm on Saturday, May 2.

On Saturday, May 2, from 12:30 – 1:30 pm, there will be a review of the “$10 Plan: Where Are We Going Now?” “Join ECEBC and CCCABC during Saturday’s lunch break to learn where we have been through this in journey, what’s new and help plan our future goals.”