Blog

Circle time still holds value, especially when we can reimagine its structure through a responsive, child-led lens. In this post, we will explore how educators can reclaim circle time as a meaningful, flexible, and inclusive part of the day. 

Through this blog post, you can explore the strengths and challenges of digital portfolios for children, students, and Early Childhood Educators—helping you make informed decisions that work best for your setting.  

We asked our Strive Resource Centre Intern, Jazmine Geroge some questions to get to know her a little better. Have a read to see what she said!

We asked our Strive Project Intern, Avery Lomax some questions to get to know her a little better. Have a read to see what she said!

In this inspiring and practical blog by Cara Caudle, a Certified Forest School Practitioner, you'll explore how sensory gardens can transform early learning environments. Designed for children and with children, these gardens awaken curiosity, promote well-being, and support all eight senses — from sight and smell to body awareness and balance.

Whether you're thinking about an indoor setup with calming succulents or a vibrant outdoor space buzzing with pollinators, Cara offers ideas, inspiration, and resources to help you get started. Plus, you'll learn how to involve children in the process, encouraging empathy, mindfulness, and discovery along the way.

Meet Victoria Allen (she/her), Strive’s Professional Learning & Statistics Specialist!

We asked Victoria some questions to get to know her a little better. Keep reading to see what she said!

Meet Lena Haider (she/her), one of Strive’s Resource Centre Specialists!

We asked Lena some questions to get to know her a little better. Keep reading to see what she said!

The landscape of early childhood education is ever-changing, reflecting shifts in policy, research, and the needs of educators and caregivers. One of the most compelling examples of this evolution is Strive, as we have transformed over the years from including more structured quality assessment frameworks into a dynamic professional learning community while both meeting the needs of the community at the given time.

In the busy days of childcare, it is so easy for the mountains of tasks, goals and paperwork to monopolize the time of educators in the classroom. We may unintentionally overshadow the most crucial part of children’s learning: the child’s own curiosity and interests.  

In this blog post, we’ll focus on how we can shift the focus from the checklists and goals to learning alongside the child, and their interests, while myth busting some common misconceptions around child-led play and emergent curriculum.

In this post, Fanshawe College Early Childhood Leadership students Noah King and Rhea Terry share their valuable perspectives on contributing to the development of an Open Educational Resource (OER) aimed at enhancing field experiences for both students and mentors.

Meet Alicia Vanderwerf (she/her), one of Strive’s Professional Learning Specialists!

We asked Alicia some questions to get to know her a little better. Keep reading to see what she said!

As the year draws to a close, we at Strive are taking a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve shared with the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) community. This year has been marked by growth, innovation, and a commitment to empowering professionals in their vital work with children and families.

Meet Andera Novak (she/they), Strive’s Marketing & Communications Specialist!

We asked Andera some questions to get to know them a little better. Keep reading to see what she said!

In this post, Heather Bywaters, RN, BScN, MN, from the Middlesex-London Health Unit, shares valuable insights and strategies to help professionals prepare for the season ahead. This blog post outlines general guidance on illness prevention, enhanced cleaning protocols, outbreak reporting and tips for supporting staff, children, and families during respiratory illness season.

We are excited to share that recently, an expansion of ‘Culturally Responsive Book Bundles’ project has been actioned. 10 new titles have been curated and Oxford County will now be included in this next drop.

The chosen books emphasize positive representation and are designed to foster a sense of belonging, well-being, citizenship, and empathy among all children, families, and early years professionals.

Keep reading to learn about the new books chosen to support our continued efforts in representing belonging in books.

Introducing the brand new Community Animator & Mentorship Hub, where you can stay connected to various resources on mentorship and mentoring relationships. This blog explores some of the curated books used to support the development of this new website addition.

In this month's post, we delve into what CoPs are, explore how they can be leveraged to support professionals in ECEC, and offer guidance on joining CoPs.

In addition, building on the success of Communities of Practice: Leadership and Communities of Practice: Infant Educators, and Communities of Practice: Cooks and Dietary Planners, informed by the insights of our Community Animator, Strive is excited to introduce new opportunities this Fall to enrich the early learning community across London, Middlesex, Elgin, and Oxford counties with the launch of additional Communities of Practice (CoPs).  

On Wednesday, July 17th we hosted a professional learning session called “Book Tasting: A Conversation on Children’s Books”. During this session our Resource Centre Specialists, Liz and Sara, facilitated a conversation on how they vet books for Strive’s ECE Professional Resource Centre.

Folks were able to reconnect with some “classics” as well as be inspired by new books. This blog highlights the books selected for this professional learning session as well as some important information from Array Books in relation to their process of vetting books and the importance of doing so.

The governing bodies in the early years sector play a crucial role in supporting, regulating, advocating for, and promoting the interests of early years professionals and the quality in ECEC.

In this post, gain insights about the various professional organizations and associations that exists within our sector, outlining their purpose and highlighting some of those currently active within the sector.

We are so excited to introduce you to Kayla Paquette (she/her), HBA, RECE, Strive Community Animator!

We asked Kayla some questions to get to know her a little better. Keep reading to see what she said!

Learn all about Sarah Hall and her amazing StrawBubs multi-sensory program, the inspiration for it, and how we as early years professionals can utilize her knowledge and tips in our practice!

A wonderful group of early years professionals from Orchard Park Early Learning Centre attended a Strive event called “Extreme Makeover: Classroom Edition” facilitated by Ally Scott and were ultimately eager and inspired to make changes to their centre’s environment. The magic began unfolding and the changes kept flowing. Keep reading to go along the journey of their transformation, and to learn about the amazing impact it had on themselves, their practice, and the children in their care… you may even be inspired to start your own classroom makeover!

Sheryl Third (she/her), RECE, writes about mentoring being a strategy for professional learning and support from a historical perspective while asking herself a very important question- where do we go now? While promoting us to make connections to gratitude and to consider how our own willingness to learn from others impacts mentoring relationships, Sheryl dives into some prompts that help us reflect on how we can support one another.

Dr. Tina Bonnett (Ed.D, MS.ECEd., RECE, CTIC), keynote speaker at The Courage to Care with her presentation “Cultivating Secure Spaces to Probe the Complexities of Care”, has been critically reflecting on her experience at this system-wide professional learning day. Tina has kindly shared her reflections with us to further share with the community! Keep reading to dive into Tina’s reflections, and to learn how you can take on a more transformative and reflective approach to your professional learning.

With such heavy hearts, Ally Scott and Sheri Spriggs share a glimpse of their cherished memories of Dr. Diane Kashin who has recently passed away after her journey with Breast Cancer.

Reflecting on 2023. The surprises, challenges and gifts of the past year.

Why Accountable Spaces? Shifting from Safe or Brave Spaces to creating and maintaining Accountable Spaces is critical, as safety cannot always be guaranteed and bravery should not be a requirement for marginalized people. Whereas, Accountable Spaces require individuals to be responsible for their intentions, words, and actions. Cultivating Accountable Spaces supports the children, families, and communities we serve in a way that is equitable and accessible.

Meet Paige! Paige Collins, an educator at Stationview YMCA Child Care Centre. Paige has been nominated for the level of care she demonstrates when working with children and families. Her nurturing disposition facilitates an environment where children and families feel seen, heard, welcome, and safe. It is obvious that these are innate qualities, and we will only see her level of care grow as she progresses in obtaining her ECE diploma. Join us in getting to know her better and celebrating her contributions to the early years community.

Meet Becky! Becky Matthews, Site Supervisor with the YWCA St.Thomas-Elgin and a leader of the Before and After School Program at Elgin Court Public School, is an outstanding role model and leads with such care and compassion. Join us in getting to know her better and celebrating her contributions to the early years community.

Meet Caroline! Caroline Almeida, RECE, is a Program Supervisor at Whitehills Childcare Association, Sir-Arthur Currie location. Caroline was nominated for her passion, dedication, and joy for the early years field. Her story of entering the sector in London and her journey thus far is inspiring and may invigorate other professionals in our early years community. Join us in getting to know her better and celebrating her contributions to the early years community.