In this video series originally made for social media, AECEO placement student Ahla Zafar interviewed people occupying various roles within the Early Childhood Education (ECE) field to discuss the issues they are facing. Building on the valuable insights from the interviews, Ahla then explores the work being done by the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario (AECEO) to address the challenges identified in the interviews.

The AECEO, in collaboration with the OCBCC, is excited to announce the release of the Parent and Family MPP Meeting Toolkit.

This resource is a guide for parents, family members, and allies to meeting with elected representatives and advocating for child care. Positive change in the child care sector is thanks to the hard work of advocates, and meeting with MPPs is an important part of this work.

We cant wait to see how you will use this toolkit!

Revisit the 2023 AECEO Provincial Conference one year later with a special panel discussion.

Thursday May 9th
7:00-8:00pm EST
REGISTER HERE

Join us for a special student panel and hear from recent graduates of the ECE program Lish Francoeur, Jade Lillace, and Grace Wolfe.

Monday April 22nd
7:00-8:00pm
REGISTER NOW

See below for more details

The 3rd Child Care Parent & Family Community Action meeting is on May 7th at 8PM!

Click on read more below to read our full International Women's Day message.

The AECEO is welcoming submissions for the Fall/Winter 2024 eceLINK Peer Reviewed Collection:

Special Issue: Socially Just Ruptures in Early Childhood Education and Care: Rupturing Developmentalism in ECEC Curricula, Pedagogies, and Policy

Guest Editors: Dr. Adam Davies (University of Guelph) & Dr. Nidhi Menon (Toronto Metropolitan University)

Submission deadline:  August 31, 2024

This special issue is inspired thematically and conceptually by the notion of ‘ruptures’ – a term that draws its etymology from the Greek word for ‘to wound’. While ruptures of any form can be disorienting, challenging, and unnerving, ruptures can also provide avenues for rethinking taken-for-granted practices, beliefs, and frameworks that guide our professional and personal lives (Davies, 2022). In fact, Souto-Manning (2021) theorizes ruptures as transformative, and even a portal into new ways of moving forward societally. Thinking in this vein, ruptures can offer opportunities for radical shifts and changes in practices. This special call for eceLINK begins with the premise that ruptures allow possibilities for rethinking taken-for-granted practices, pedagogies, policies, and theories, and that ruptures provide avenues for transformative ways of thinking, living, being, and becoming.

Please email submissions to: [email protected]

Download full Call for Papers and submission guidelines PDF

Black Canadian History Beyond February
February 28th 7:00-8:30

The objective of this workshop is to empower educators (highlighting school-age educators) helping them create an inclusive learning environment that reflects the diverse stories and contributions of Black Canadians beyond the month of February. By attending, you'll be equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to inspire your students, fostering a sense of unity and appreciation for Canada's rich cultural mosaic. 

Indigenous Astronomy: As told by the Haudenosaunee
Filling Your Spirit with Stardust and Astronomical Knowledge

Presented by Samantha Doxtator, Haudenosaunee, Oneida - Wolf Clan

Tuesday March 5th, 2024
6:30pm - 8:30pm EST
REGISTER HERE

February is Black History Month. Recognizing Black History Month is a practice that is meant to exercise dissent and combat dominant societal narratives that harm the Black community and society at large. The ways in which we engage with people, resources, and education this month reflect an ongoing commitment to build a better world. The acknowledgement of Black History Month provides both an opportunity for celebrating Black histories and for working towards collective liberation and anti-racism in society.

As early childhood educators and as a community, the AECEO continues to invite you to learn and unlearn alongside us, during Black History Month and beyond. With that intention, we curated a selection of resources that have supported our own learning to share with our online community. We also take Black History Month as an opportunity to recognize, amplify and celebrate Black educators and advocates. Throughout the month of February 2024, the AECEO used our social media platforms to shine the spotlight on members of the Black community who have used their skills and talents to promote inclusion and make the world better for all children. Check out the links below to learn more

In this issue:

• What Kind of Ancestor do you Hope to Be: Responses Part 2 (open access)
• The Impact of a Transformative Conference (special section)
• An ECE Instructors Action Research: Reflections on an Initiative to Teach Anishinaabemowin
• ECE Voices
• Building Leadership & Learning Communities Project
• In Memoriam
• The Peer Reviewed Collection: Special Issue - Disability Justice in ECE (open access)
  • Including the Voices of Children with ADHD: An Invitation to Disrupt Normalcy
  • Mad Autobiographical Stories, Poetry, and Resistances within Post-Secondary Early Childhood Education and Care 

Our thanks to everyone who contributed!

We would also like to thank AECEO Members, and the following advertisers, for supporting this issue of the eceLINK:

belairdirect

Educators Financial Group

 (AECEO MEMBER ACCESS FOR FULL CONTENT)

Click HERE to become an AECEO member or renew!

Happy New Year! As we ease back into work after the holiday break, we invite you to check out highlights from our work in 2023. Click on the image below to see the detailed recap. 

• The AECEO hosted multiple Professional Learning events, including the 2023 AECEO Virtual Provincial Conference and in-person gatherings in partnership with Seneca Lab School and ASCY. Over 1000 people attended AECEO PL sessions last year! Register now for the first PL session of 2024 - Part II: Mindfulness & Grounding Techniques for ECEs. Click here to learn more! 
• The AECEO joined ECE students and faculty for class chats and engaged with communities across the province at tabling events
• We published the Spring/Summer issue of eceLINK (Fall/Winter issue coming soon!) and released four documents that complement our work on the Roadmap to Universal Child Care in Ontario with the OCBCC
• 2023 was a big year for the Worth MORE! campaign! Worth MORE! Wednesdays and the Days of Action were a huge success. Thank you for joining us in whatever way you were able to! Click here to see highlights from the November 30th Day of Action across Ontario
• Since the announcement of the $18 per hour wage floor in 2022, the Ontario child care community has consistently advocated for a higher wage floor. YOUR advocacy and your ECE Power won! The Provincial government has now been forced to increase the wage floor for RECEs in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system to $23.86 per hour. We will continue to fight for a comprehensive workforce strategy that includes all ELCC staff in 2024 and beyond
• The AECEO Communities of Practice are growing! Exciting announcements to come in 2024!
• Rachel Neville joined our team as Community Outreach Administrator and we welcomed our Executive Director Alana Powell back from parental leave.

We are so grateful for the community organizations and members who supported and amplified our work in 2023 and look forward to building more meaningful partnerships in 2024! Make sure you sign up for our mailing list and follow the AECEO on Facebook and on Instagram to stay up to date on AECEO events and activities, professional learning opportunities and policy developments in the Ontario ELCC sector.

Become an AECEO member to help keep this work going and be part of the change in the Ontario ELCC sector. Membership supports accessible low-cost ECE-led professional development, connects members to early years professionals and communities across Ontario and builds a strong, united voice for ECEs in our province! Click here to join or renew your membership!