MEET KAYLA AND HAILLE, STRIVE COMMUNITY ANIMATORS!
The Strive team is thrilled to introduce you to Kayla Bartlett and Haille Ifabumuyi, Strive Community Animators!
Kayla and Haille have taken on a new position at Strive and are eager to connect with you, the community! To hear your voices, share your perspectives, and listen to your stories. Kayla and Halle are inspiring, encouraging professionals and we are beyond lucky to have them join our team!
We asked Kayla and Haille some questions to get to know them a little better. Keep reading to see what they have to say!
MEET KAYLA!
Tell us a bit about yourself…
I am a Registered Early Childhood Educator with a Bachelors of Science in Early Childhood Studies. I have experience working within full day childcare, before and after school programs, camps, as well as administrative and supervisory positions. In May 2022, I was a Champion of Change panelist in the Heartwork and So Much More event (check our Part 3 to listen to Kayla speak!), discussing advocacy and the work we do within the early years sector. Since then, I have become a founding member of Leaders for Change St. Thomas-Elgin; a group dedicated to transforming childcare and early learning environments throughout the county. Currently, I am exploring a new role as the Strive Community Animator for Elgin County.
What is something you’ve learned recently that you’re excited about…
As I dive into my new role as Community Animator, I have been researching and engaging in many conversations. Recently, I was able to witness a Community of Practice conversation which stumbled on the idea of generational differences and how there may be different expectations of work, mentorship, professionalism, etc. between generations. I am excited to learn more about the differences that exist and assess how I honour them in my professional practice.
What is something you’re unlearning…
I have been working through dismantling my context surrounding rest and worth. Taking time to understand stress cycles, burnout, and the physical impact they have on our health and bodies, inspired me to get serious about taking care of me. I am currently unlearning the concept that rest needs to be earned. I have been practicing prioritizing rest first before commitments. This shift feels uncomfortable in a world of “hustle culture” but over the last few months, I have felt enormous shift in my quality of life, engagement, and well-being.
Tell us why you chose a career in Early Childhood Education and Care…
I chose a career in Early Childhood Education and Care after a volunteer experience. I was a Sparks Leader with Girl Guides Canada for a high school level course and was struck by the impact one hour a week can have in a child’s life. Being able to provide safe and caring spaces for children became a passion for me instantly.
Tell us about your role… What are you looking forward to in this role?
In my role I am responsible for engaging community partners to inform a vision for a sustainable approach to mentoring that supports early years professionals in all aspects of their career. My role exists to build relationships with community partners to strengthen the voices of early years professionals. Through story telling, sharing experiences, and deep conversations, I will compile data and offer recommendations to Children’s Services for a support system beyond the typical definition of mentorship to embed this way of thinking in ongoing practices.
What I am most looking forward to in this role is capturing the voice of my community. Often within our sectors, systems are imposed onto us. This is such an exciting opportunity to elevate the voices of the working community to offer feedback and assessment of existing or previous systems, and ensure this tool is supportive and sustainable to the workforce.
How has professional learning contributed to your practice?
From the beginning, professional learning has been foundational to my practice. As a student, I would seek out opportunities to extend my learning and broaden my scope. As I entered into the working world, professional learning became an integral piece of my identity as a professional and advocate within the sector. Participating in professional learning allows me not only to stay current in my knowledge and broaden my thinking, but it allows me to speak more clearly and strongly on behalf of children, families, colleagues, and myself. It has allowed me to curate a space where I felt safe to participate and show up authentically in my work.
Tell us about a recent professional learning experience that had a positive impact on you…
Most recently, I attended Winter Rethink 2023. Coming out of a time of personal challenges, this event was just the motivating boost I needed to get back out there. Natalie Royer speaks with such conviction, honesty, and realness. Her prompts and conversations challenged me to hold myself accountable, look at my privilege in a new way, understand how language can impact my day, to hold space in celebrating myself, and be confident in who I am and the work I do.
What inspires you?
I am genuinely inspired by witnessing others have their “aha” moments and moments of growth. This has been my inspiration even from the beginning of my work with children. There is something contagious in the joy and confidence that comes from learning or achieving something new. I think this contagion leads to positions like mine where we have the opportunity to engage in those challenging conversations and see what new perspectives we can discover.
Do you have a favourite quote?
“I am made of who I am with”
This is a quote from Tiziana Filippini’s keynote at the 2018 Ontario Reggio Association conference. I attended this conference during a time when I was unsure of my identity as an Educator. I had been falling into the trap of trying to be like others and was lost. This quote, and the accompanying conversations from that day, kick-started my journey into authentic work and practice.
Tell us some things you enjoy doing in your spare time…
In my spare time, I enjoy prioritizing my well-being and curating a life that feels supportive to me. Part of my unlearning is realizing that for me, self-care is curated within my home and the moments with my family. Lately, I have been doing walks with my family, watching movies or shows, playing games, cooking food we love, listening to audio books, and taking every chance I can get to belly laugh with my toddler. With the longer daylight hours arriving, I will definitely be prioritizing more outdoor time as well.
If you were an ice cream flavour, what flavour would you be and why?
My husband says “the sweetest one”… I would say vanilla with a caramel swirl because I am consistent and dependable, but I may also surprise you.
Welcome to the Strive Team, Kayla! We are so excited to work with you!
Join us in extending Kayla a warm welcome by commenting below!
MEET HAILLE
Tell us a bit about yourself…
My name is Haille Ifabumuyi. I am a Registered Early Childhood Educator. I graduated from Fanshawe College’s Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership Program in 2020, and then moved on to my Master’s of Critical Policy, Equity, and Leadership studies in Western University’s Faculty of Education and graduated in 2022. Previous to this role, I was working for the City of London as a Community Support Associate in the child care fee subsidy team of the Child Care and Early Years department. I have also taught in the Early Childhood Education and Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership programs at Fanshawe College, and hope to continue teaching in the future. I look forward to starting my journey with Strive, and supporting the early years’ community in a different capacity.
What is something you’ve learned recently that you’re excited about?
I’ve recently learned that some provinces (i.e., Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island) and territories (i.e., Yukon and Nunavut) have already achieved or are on track to achieve $10-a-day child care, under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) initiative. This makes me excited that families will be paying less for child care fees, especially in a time of inflation and rising costs of living. I hope Ontario will too be able to achieve this goal soon.
What is something you’re unlearning?
I am unlearning to be so critical of myself. I tend to get discouraged or upset with myself when I feel that I could do better or should know more about something. Trying to switch my thinking to be more kind to myself is something I am working on.
Tell us why you chose a career in Early Childhood Education and Care…
I have always enjoyed education and definitely consider myself a lifelong learner. I have also enjoyed working with and caring for children from a young age. We have all heard this on repeat as early years professionals, but the first three years of a child’s life are so critical. Recognizing this importance, I wanted to pursue a career where I could support children’s initial experiences with education and care, not just to set them up for a healthy and fulfilling life for the future, but also to nurture, support, and listen to children in the now.
Tell us about your role… What are you looking forward to in this role?
As the Community Animator for London-Middlesex, I will be working with various community partners across the community to support early years’ professionals in the context of mentorship. The goal is to have a sustainable and inclusive mentorship approach, that will help to mitigate some of the affects of the early years’ workforce crisis. I am most looking forward to connecting with community partners across London and Middlesex, and hear what their needs, insights, and thoughts are around mentorship, and how we can interrogate the idea of mentorship to create something innovative for our community and address the workforce crisis.
How has professional learning contributed to your practice?
Professional learning has helped me to reflect and think more critically as an early years’ professional. Connecting with other early learning professionals has helped to expand my knowledge of the field, and specifically understand what strengths and barriers exist in our community.
Tell us about a recent professional learning experience that had a positive impact on you…
Though not very recent, I had the opportunity to take a site tour of London’s newest Family Centre, Nshwaasnangong Child Care and Family Centre. Touring and learning about this site was a truly heart-warming and eye-opening experience. To see the time, care, dedication, and thought put in to making this centre possible was amazing, and makes me excited to have Indigenous-centered programming in our community.
What inspires you?
As cliché as it may sound, children really inspire me. Each child brings a unique and critical way to learn about the world around them, that causes you as the adult to reflect and helps you to consider a refreshed perspective. I am a big advocate for including children’s voices in not only early childhood practice or classrooms, but also in policy and decision-making in our sector. Children are curious and competent people just like adults, and deserve to have their voices heard, especially when it directly affects their daily lives.
Do you have a favourite quote?
“Crises create fertile ground for change and there can be little doubt that we are living in a time of deepening and converging crises, which will see today’s dominant stories ‘losing their power’, making room for others more attuned to humankind’s condition and hope.”
– Peter Moss, 2014, p. 6, Transformative Change and Real Utopias in Early Childhood Education
Tell us some things you enjoy doing in your spare time. ..
When I’m not working, I like to do as little as possible. Rest, relaxation, and watching sitcoms or reality TV are my main hobbies, but I also enjoy doing yoga, playing soccer, and spending time with my family and friends.
If you were an ice cream flavour, what flavour would you be and why?
Ben & Jerry’s Netflix and Chilll’d. I would be this flavour as I love binge watching TV and relaxing with my family.
Welcome to the Strive Team, Haille! We are so excited to work with you!
Join us in extending Haille a warm welcome by commenting below!