This solutions-based Summit presents an opportunity to learn and engage with innovative approaches, ideas from research, and inspiration from practice to help us answer: what does Decent Work look like in Ontario's Kindergarten Program?

Building from the four foundations of Decent Work from the Ontario Early Childhood Sector Decent Work Charter, we seek to explore together opportunities to address the challenges that exist in the Kindergarten Program. Participants will engage in multiple workshops that each involve facilitated dialogue to inform a shared vision of how we frame a future of Decent Work in the Kindergarten Program - what do we need to get there and how can we work together?

“As leaders in our communities we will champion practices that promote and sustain decent work, and will join with our community partners, sector networks, associations, policymakers and funders to generate collective actions that expand decent working conditions.”

Ontario Early Childhood Sector Decent Work Charter

Special Guest Speakers

• Jenn Miller, Director of Social Investment, Atkinson Foundation
• Olivia Chow, Distinguished Visiting Professor, Ryerson University and Institute for Change Leaders

Workshops

• All Are Welcome Here. Danielle Matthew, RECE
• Conflict Resolution. May Joliffe, RECE, Principal, Rockwood Consulting
• Exploring the connection between mentoring and quality of practice. Anne Hepditch, RECE, Manager, Quality & Capacity Building Children’s Services Division; City of Toronto & Dr. elaine Winick, RECE, Professor, School of Early Childhood, George Brown College.
• Inclusivity: What it means to Early Childhood Educators Working in Kindergarten Programs. Ashley Shirley, RECE & Jane Henriques, RECE
  
• Key Components of Effective Teacher-ECE Collaboration. Dr. Sandy Youmans, Adjunct Professor, Queens University
• The Kindergarten Partnership: From Vision to Action. Natalie Crisante, OCT, Early Years K-3 Student Achievement Consultant, HWCDSB & Maria Agro, RECE, Field Placement Specialist and Part Time Faculty, Mohawk College
• The Kindergarten Program: A Shared Partnership. Marie Poss ECE Coordinator, Fanshawe College & Lorraine Purgret, ECE Coordinator, Fanshawe College
• Use your Words; Advocate, Respond and Represent. Liv Iatridis, RECE & Kara Long, RECE
• Positive Professionalism. Diego Olmedo, RECE, ETFO Local President, TCDSB; Professor, Seneca College
  
• Public sector expansion of early childhood education: The role of public jobs to promote decent work. Emis Akbari, Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development, Professor and Coordinator, School of Early Childhood, George Brown College.

Focus Group: Assessment and Collaboration in Today's Kindergarten Classrooms. Dr. Christine Romain-Tappin, PhD Candidate, Queen’s University and Full-Time Faculty, Loyalist College. View the recruitment poster here.

Registration deadline:  Friday February 27th

Registration: 8:00 am

Opening speaker and introduction: 8:30 am

Continental Breakfast and Lunch included

FULL SUMMIT PROGRAM

The Kindergarten Summit is an initiative of the Professional Pay and Decent Work project. We are grateful to the Atkinson Foundation for their continued support.

Many thanks to the AECEO's project partners, the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and The Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development and our event partner, George Brown College's School of Early Childhood.

George Brown College Waterfront Campus information