professional learning
Events encompass all upcoming Professional Learning opportunities. Mainly, the learning experiences offered are brought to you by the Strive Professional Learning Committee and align with How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years, as well as the College of Early Childhood Educators requirement for Continuous Professional Learning. This can include, workshops, reflections, guest speakers, and hands-on-learning which may be delivered in single sessions, article studies, and full or half day events. Also highlighted are network meetings, committee meetings, and other upcoming events for community engagement.
On October 24, 2022, the second system-wide professional learning day was held. Only One You brought the London-Middlesex child care and early years system together to reflect, learn, grow, and celebrate the invaluable contributions early years professionals make each day in service to children and families across our region.
The day aimed to build connection and community while inviting you to invest in your most precious resource: YOU!
Networking and Communities of Practice
Networking is a vital aspect to the professional growth of early childhood educators. Strive provides opportunities for practitioners to network and connect with other professionals within environments that stimulate creativity and innovation.
Our current Networks include:
- Child Care Cooks and Dietary Planners Network
- Nursery School and Parent Cooperative Network
In a Community of Practice, RECEs come together to discuss, learn and strategize ways in which to better understand or advance a shared passion as a group and as individuals in daily practice.
Our current Communities of Practice include:
- Infant Educators
- Outdoor Play
- Cooks and Dietary Planners
- Be Well
- La Communauté d’Échange
Advocacy
Advocacy is a responsibility for ALL child care professionals. In fact, it is a commitment we make as members of the College of Early Childhood Educators, as outlined in our Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
“RECEs communicate the value and importance of early childhood education in their communities and to the broader public. RECEs advocate in the interest of children, families, early childhood educators and the early years sector.”
(College of Early Childhood Educators, 2017)
Advocacy is not limited to influencing change at a political or policy level, though that is certainly part of it, it is also about the small decisions and changes we can make every day.
Professional Resources
Access to child care and early years resources is essential for professionals working in the sector. During this transformative time within our field, all professionals need to know where to find legislation, our regulatory framework and guiding documents. The Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014, the College of ECE framework that regulates and governs Ontario’s RECEs and other impactful documents can be found here
job postings
As a component of innovative collaboration, we are pleased to share current job postings within the community. Our early learning community is rich with unique and diverse career opportunities. Educators deserve to find an employer that matches their individual values and beliefs.
Community Engagement
Strive is made up of several committees and working groups. In order to encompass the voice of all professionals in the community, we invite practitioners to join the conversations.
- Strive Committee
- Strive Advisory Committee
- Professional Learning Committee
New Strategic Plan!
We are pleased to share with you Leading Inspired Learning, our strategic plan for 2020 – 2023. This is a transformative time in the Child Care and Early Years sector. This plan outlines the change we want to inspire and the strategies we will implement in the next four years.
Over the next four years, we will leverage our knowledge and expertise to be leaders in the sector. We will build strong partnerships and create opportunities for connection. We will focus on serving as a catalyst to help Child Care and Early Years professionals achieve their goals and build their professional capacity.
Together, we will reach our goal of providing the best care to children in our community.
We hope you will join us in leading inspired learning!
Become a member
Strive is here to support all your professional learning needs. We understand that it may be difficult to attend professional learning events in addition to your work day but that you value your professional growth. That is why we created an online learning platform with discussion boards, forums, and resources that you can access any day, any time! We will continue to grow our online library of resources in response to the community’s needs.
Early Learning Professionals are invited to join Strive Online, now hosted on the MyTurn platform: