Past is Present Community Book Project
The Early Childhood Community Development Centre (ECCDC) is delighted to be partnering with Literacy Link Niagara (LLN) on the Past is Present Community Book Project; an initiative that will bring children’s literature, a toolkit of curriculum planning ideas and training tied to the War of 1812 bicentennial celebrations to Niagara’s licensed child care programs through the ECCDC and a family literacy kit to families across Niagara through Literacy Link Niagara.
Based on the One Book, One Community concept, LLN and the ECCDC are coordinating the region-wide project, which was made possible by a one year grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The books, which will be selected through community committees, with relevance to the Niagara community. Two books will be selected – one for adults and a second for preschool children enrolled in Niagara’s licensed child care programs. LLN will lead the coordination of the adult’s project, while the Early Childhood Community Development Centre will lead the coordination of the children’s project.
The books will be promoted together to emphasize the importance of family literacy. A family literacy toolkit will be created and available for download on the LLN website. The toolkit will include a scavenger hunt that has families working together to find out more about historical sites in the Niagara Region. Adult book clubs will be offered both online and in community agencies. The Early Childhood Community Development Centre, with support from early learning and child care community representatives, will design a toolkit for use in Niagara’s licensed child care programs. The toolkit will include curriculum planning suggestions for extending the book themes within early years settings.
LLN hopes to engage adults, children and families in literacy activities to celebrate the bicentennial and aims to highlight the power of reading and the importance of literacy and community. The Early Childhood Community Development Centre looks forward to providing Niagara’s licensed child care centres with children’s literature and curriculum planning suggestions tied to the War of 1812 bicentennial celebrations.
For further information contact eccdc@eccdc.org.
Niagara Numeracy Project
The Early Childhood Community Development Centre, in partnership with the Kiwanis Clubs of Niagara, received a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to provide all licensed child care centres in Niagara with a numeracy resource kit containing over $1,000 of educational resource materials purchased primarily through educational resource supplier Louise Kool and Galt.
View the Project Summary, which includes project details such as funding, volunteerism, and kit cost, assembly, and value. On January 26, 2012, the Niagara Child Care Centre Numeracy Project Wrap-up and Recognition Celebration was held. Click here for pictures of the event.
Approximately 6,000 children enrolled in Niagara's licensed child care programs will have access to the numeracy resource kits and will have encouragement and guidance in discovering various math concepts including:
- number sense and numeration;
- measurement and measurement sense;
- geometry and spatial sense;
- patterning and data management and probability.
For further information contact eccdc@eccdc.org.
Mentoring Pairs for Child Care
Mentoring Pairs for Child Care was a province-wide project that matched more experienced child care supervisors with less experienced ones in their own communities. These groups completed a year-long post-diploma credit course developed by the ECCDC in 2008 and administered over two phases (2009 and 2010). Partnering with 24 post-secondary institutions allowed 39 courses to be offered around Ontario including urban, rural, Francophone and First Nations specific groups. In total, there were 542 graduates. Using a proven process of group learning, guided communication, site visits and one-on-one coaching and interaction, Mentoring Pairs for Child Care offered participants:
- a deeper understanding of the Occupational Standards for their profession,
- the opportunity to develop their personal capacity for excellence in child care administration, and
- increased networking, professional development and recognition opportunities.
All groups are now "Continuing the Momentum" and have sustainability plans in place that engage graduates and their local community partners in continuing to build the skills, knowledge and local leadership required for meeting local needs and priorities and successfully navigating change in the sector.
MPCC was intended to enhance the quality Ontario's licensed child care centres by expanding supervisors' knowledge of and application of the CCHRSC's Occupational Standards for Child Care Administrators. The project was very well received by participants and partners alike and evaluation results demonstrate statistically significant positive impacts. To learn more, read the Final Outcome Report.
Interest in MPCC and its products has subsequently been expressed by other Canadian provinces and beyond. The ECCDC is excited to be able to offer resources such as Mentoring Toolkits, t-shirts, Occupational Standards Self-assessment Checklists, and a video. You can view the DVD, Nurturing Growth for Both....and Beyond: Developing & Sustaining a Mentoring Learning Culture in Early Learning and Care by clicking on the arrow in the picture below. For more information on how you can purchase a copy of the video and other resources, click here.