You will gain insight about different career pathways, make networking connections, as well as be able to ask the panelists questions about life after graduation. Be prepared to find commonalities, inspiration, & real life strategies to support your potential and success.

MEET THE PANELISTS

Jade Lillace  (she/her) is a Registered Early Childhood Educator and has a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Studies from Toronto Metropolitan University. She has 12 years of experience in the early childhood sector, including child care centres, early intervention services, nannying, and full day kindergarten. She is a Research Officer at Childcare Resource and Research Unit and is part of the Early Years Liberation Collective. As a white settler on Indigenous land, Jade seeks to disrupt colonial inheritances, and to transform the sector with anti-colonial and anti-oppressive knowledges. She advocates for competitive compensation and better working conditions for educators, because addressing the workforce crisis is an essential step towards universal, equitable early learning and child care for all. 

Grace Wolfe (she/her), RECE, Hon. BECL Grace is a Registered Early Childhood Educator currently working in the field with toddlers and preschoolers. She recognizes the complexity of the child care sector and aspires to evolve her practice each day to better support inclusive and diverse early years settings. Through the years, Grace has supported post-secondary students as president of an ECE advocacy group as well as published her advocacy experiences in a co-authored paper. She is particularly interested in advocating for educators’ wellbeing and for the recruitment and retention of the ECEC workforce. Presently, Grace is most passionate about connecting, learning, and playing with children hands-on in classroom settings. 

Lish Francoeur (they/them) is a neurodivergent, queer, and non-binary educator that uses they/them pronouns. Lish tells the children they work with my name is like "Wish" but with an L instead, "Lish!" They are proud of their mixed-race heritage. Lish's paternal side is Indigenous, and their maternal side is European (Dutch, Irish and German). Lish's intersectionalities make them passionate about authentic representation in the classroom and meaningful inclusion. They have experience working with various age groups from infants to palliative care patients, which gives Lish the unique ability to connect and coach people of all ages. Lish has been in the human services sector in various settings for 15 years now. Lish attended Fanshawe College where they completed their Developmental Services Worker Diploma (DSW). They recently graduated from ECE Apprenticeship program at George Brown College where they were the chair of the GBC advocates an ECE student advocacy group. Lish also works at the non-for-profit childcare centres Red Apple Daycare, TreeTop, and the GBC Lab schools. They also run their own business Teacher Lish where they create inclusive workshops for parents and educators as well as public speaking. Lish has spoke had numerous events/childcare centres such as ECRTNO, CGS and Bannockburn School. When they aren't working, or engaging in professional learning Lish is heavily involved in community volunteering for BFO Toronto Chapter (Bereaved Families of Ontario), Queer Sober Social, and various advocacy groups such as the Early Years Liberation Collective, AECEO and TCBCC.