Resources
Belonging Begins with Us: Building Deeper Relationships in CNC Programs
Tammy Nucci explores how educators can create trusting, inclusive relationships with children, families, and peers—regardless of language or background. Drawing on trauma-informed care, culturally sustaining practices, and early childhood best practices, participants will learn strategies to design routines and environments that promote safety, respect, and belonging. This session offers practical tools and reflective discussion to help build relationships rooted in empathy and inclusion.
Handouts:
Workshop Outline
Learner Journal
Introduction to Spoken Language Interpreting for CNC Staff
Jane Langes from the E-Quality Communication Centre of Excellence explores the roles and responsibilities of professional, volunteer, and workplace interpreters. Participants will learn about standards of practice, ethical principles, accuracy, sight translation, and how to recognize when an assignment exceeds their skills. This session provides practical guidance for anyone called upon to interpret or provide language support in the workplace.
Handout: Working with Interpreters
DAP Trivia Time
Led by Tina Geers, Inspired Minds ECC Consulting Inc., is a hands-on, full-participation workshop exploring Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) and how they shape early learning environments, professional practices, and children’s learning. Participants will dive into the cornerstones of DAP and discover practical ways to implement them in their play spaces. Learn how to follow the child’s lead while strengthening your professional practice.
Meaningful Inclusion and Participation
What does it look like when children are meaningfully included in a space? Ashleigh Davies,
Head Coordinator BCCE, ECE program, Burnaby Community & Continuing Education looks at ways to engage in inclusive practice, looking at the Universal Design for Learning, and ways to create an environment where everyone can meaningfully participate in equitable ways. The goal of the workshop is to find ways to create an inclusive practice and dive into what ‘inclusive’ means in an ECE context and how we can create spaces with intention.
Food, Feeding and Physical Activity in the Early Years
In this workshop Nicole Fetterly, Lead Trainer at Appetite to Play will enhance your knowledge, skills and confidence in creating childcare settings that support physical literacy, healthy eating and healthy child development. Planning tools, self-assessments, recipes, games and activities will be shared. An overview of the resource-rich Appetite to Play website will be included.
Handout: Online Workshop Resources
Fostering Diversity and Inclusion: Building Connections and Quality in the ECE Classroom
In this session, Lobna Ajaini of Childhood Empowerment empowers educators to create inclusive, high-quality learning environments that inspire care and nurture connections. With a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, participants will explore culturally responsive teaching practices, develop tools to build meaningful relationships with newcomer families, and learn strategies to foster belonging in diverse classrooms. This workshop equips educators to create spaces where every child and family feel valued and connected.
True “Belonging” Means Not Trying to Fit In
Led by Kerry Drake of KD Talks, this workshop looks at the shift from “fitting in” to truly belonging. Drawing on research from thought leaders like Brené Brown, participants will reflect on identity, authenticity, and courage, and learn how to create spaces where children and adults feel seen, valued, and free to be themselves.
Handout: Workbook
Once Upon a Time: Inspiring Care and Building Connections Through Storytelling in Early Childhood Education
This session with Lobna Ajaini of Childhood Empowerment explores how storytelling can enhance care, language, imagination, and emotional resilience in early childhood education. This online workshop equips educators with practical strategies to integrate storytelling into daily routines, support children from diverse and newcomer backgrounds, and foster inclusive, high-quality learning environments.
Handout: Workbook
Story Sacks
Story Sacks are an engaging way to enhance story-time, support preliteracy, stimulate language development, and encourage children to tell their own stories. Developed in 1995 by UK principal Neil Griffith, story sacks also strengthen connections between early learning programs, homes, and across age groups.
In this interactive session led by ECCDC’s Ginette Wilson, participants will explore links to other curriculum areas and learn how to create their own story sacks. Educators are encouraged to bring their favourite children’s story.
Handouts:
Session Highlight and Reflection Journal
Higher Order Thinking Prompts
Helping Children Thrive and Grow
Helping Children Thrive and Grow explores the emotional journey of parenting while settling into a new country. This workshop focuses on building parental resilience through nervous system and body-based practices that can be modeled and shared with children to support regulation, security, and connection. Participants will learn how attachment-based strategies, emotional awareness, and cultural strengths can help newcomer families move beyond coping to truly thrive.
Led by Georgianna Lee, Counsellor and Coach, this session supports professionals in helping parents recognize emotional needs, strengthen empathy, and deepen parent–child relationships during times of transition.
Handout: Helping Children Thrive and Grow