Who We Are
Strive is a collaborative group of child care and early years professionals dedicated to supporting learning and growth to elevate effective practice. Our community is interested in a process that values reflection and sustainable evolution rather than a prescribed method to measure.
Since 2014, Strive has been meeting to discuss and consider how to enhance a collaborative approach to child care and professional learning across all early years and child care programs.
Strive is a responsive, community driven organization with an Advisory Committee that is tasked with ensuring the strategies and tactics are put into action. Members of the Advisory Committee represent the diversity and complexity of the Child Care and Early Years sector.
Strive leverages administrative support from a backbone organization, Childreach, and takes all organizational initiatives to the membership for endorsement. Childreach is a Canadian Registered Charity (charitable registration number 10691 3742 RR0001). Therefore, Strive is a not-for-profit organization with community at the heart of everything we do.
2024 – 2026 Strategic Plan
2020 – 2023 Strategic Plan
2016 – 2018 Strategic Plan
Vision
Engaged and empowered early years community.
Mission
Leading inspired learning.
Values
Collaboration
Care
Continuous learning
Though we each have unique roles within the team, everyone at Strive works collaboratively to deliver thoughtful, intentional professional learning and services to London, Middlesex, Elgin, and Oxford county.
Keep reading to learn more about what each of us do!
Our Team
Ally Scott (she/her) BA, RECE
Manager
CONTACT INFO
Email: ally@striveswo.ca
Phone: 519-434-3644 ext. 633
Kayla Bartlett (she/her) BA, RECE
Professional Learning Lead
CONTACT INFO
Email: kayla@striveswo.ca
Phone: 519-434-3644 ext. 634
Amy Petrarca (she/her) HBECL, RECE
Professional Learning Specialist
CONTACT INFO
Email: amy@striveswo.ca
Phone: 519-434-3644 ext. 617
Olivia Musico (she/her) HBECL, RECE
Professional Learning Specialist
CONTACT INFO
Email: olivia@striveswo.ca
Phone: 519-434-3644 ext. 619
Alicia Vanderwerf (she/her) OCT, RECE, HBECL
Professional Learning Specialist
CONTACT INFO
Email: alicia@striveswo.ca
Phone: 519-434-3644 ex. 632
Kayla Paquette (she/her) HBA, RECE
Community Animator
CONTACT INFO
Email: kaylap@striveswo.ca
Phone: 519-434-3644 ext. 622
Andera Novak (she/they) HBA
Marketing and Communications Specialist
CONTACT INFO
Email: andera@striveswo.ca
Phone: 519-434-3644 ext. 629
Liz Gannon (she/they) RECE, Early Childhood Leadership Student
Resource Centre Specialist
CONTACT INFO
Email: liz@striveswo.ca
Phone: 519-434-3644 ext. 602
New Strategic Plan!
We are pleased to share with you our strategic plan for 2024 – 2026, Leading Inspired Learning. The early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector is constantly evolving. This plan outlines the change we want to inspire and the strategies we will implement in the next three years.
Over the next three years, we will leverage our knowledge and expertise to build capacity in the sector. We will strengthen leadership and create opportunities for connection. We will focus on advancing mentorships in all its complex facets. We will embed equity, diversity, and inclusion in all we do.
Together, we will strive to reach our goal of an engaged and empowered early years community.
We hope you will join us in leading inspired learning!
Join the ECE Professional Resource Centre
Strive is here to support all your professional learning needs. We have an inventory of physical resources that can be borrowed to support your program’s needs. You can browse our inventory online before committing to a membership.
In addition, 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, Strive Online, with digital resources, prerecorded webinars, live recorded sessions, and printouts 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. Strive Online resources are free to access.
Early Learning Professionals are invited to join the ECE Professional Resource Centre: