Please note: the AECEA office will be closed from December 25, 2024-January 5, 2025. Expect a delay in processing questions and memberships. Happy holidays!
Register now for the 2023 AECEA Essential Pieces Conference!
We’re very excited to announce that registration for our virtual 2023 Essential Pieces conference is officially open!
Sessions will be recorded and made available to registrants following the conference.
Registration closes on May 19, 2023, at 5:00 PM.
Cost
AECEA Professional Members $94.50*
Non-Member/AECEA Associate Members $126.00
Student Rate $52.50
All prices include GST
AECEA Professional members, log in to your account for the discount code to access the conference with the discount. Not yet a member? Purchase one by going to https://aecea.ca/membership/professional-student
*One conference registration at this rate per individual professional membership
Conference Schedule
Friday, May 26, 2023
| 6:00-6:30 PM - Welcome Remarks | ||
| 6:30-8:00 PM - Leading Yourself Out of Darkness: Overcoming Inner Struggles to Reveal the Leader Within |
Saturday, May 27, 2023
| 9:00-9:30 AM - Day 2 Opening Remarks | |
| 9:30-11:00 AM Indigenous Allyship and Programming in Child Care | |
| 11:00-11:15 Wellness Break | |
| 11:15 AM-12:15 PM Inclusive Practice: Recognizing Individual Differences to Promote Participation | |
| 12:15-1:00 PM Lunch | |
| 1:00-2:00 PM Breakout Sessions A | |
| Executive Function From Infancy on and How to Build and Grow It Through Play | Building Resilience - What Does Serve and Return Look Like When Communication Disorders are Present? |
| 2:00-2:15 PM Wellness Break | |
| 2:15-3:45 PM Breakout Sessions B | |
| Loose Parts Play Mindset - Looking For The Verb | Communities of Practice; Essential Pieces of Educator Well-Being |
| 3:45-4:00 PM Wellness Break | |
| 4:00-5:00 PM Closing Remarks & Snapshot of ELCC in Alberta Now and Upcoming | |
Friday, May 26, 2023 6:30-8:00 PM
Leading Yourself Out of Darkness: Overcoming Inner Struggles to Reveal the Leader Within
Before we lead others, we must first be able to lead ourselves. Three essential skills for sustainable leadership will be outlined, with time for participant reflection and engagement as we co-create a leadership community of practice.
Join Laura to learn more about leading yourself out of darkness and build a platform for inner guidance.
Overview
- This interactive session draws on Laura's personal experiences and includes the engagement of participants to reflect and share their own struggles and triumphs.
- This session deals with the topics of depression and anxiety, which may be temporary or lifelong, along with life events that can be challenging (grief, burnout, or even just having a bad day, week, month, or year)
- Participants will leave with an increased understanding of the struggles shared by all leaders and a toolkit with clear steps to navigate those challenges.
Benefits to Participants
- Explore the challenges leaders face in practice, from fatigue and burnout to ongoing mental health struggles.
- Discover the 3 steps to leading yourself out of the challenges that arise when becoming a leader.
- Using personal examples and time for participant reflection and engagement, develop personalized steps to support leaders on their journey to success.
- Develop internal self-guidance strategies including tenacity, flexibility, grace, empathy, and self-reflection.
Saturday, May 27, 2023 9:30-11:00 AM
Indigenous Allyship and Programming in Child Care
In this workshop, we will be recognizing the privilege that settler cultures have and take for granted. We will learn how to challenge and work towards breaking down those barriers that continue to violate Indigenous communities and how we can better support the Indigenous community through our work in Child Care. There will be resources provided for incorporating Indigenous celebrations and ways of life into programming and what the difference is in the culture of the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples and how we can reflectively and appropriately represent the image of the Indigenous child in our programs and programming.
Session Outcomes
- Help allies understand the struggle for decolonization and nationhood and what effective allyship to Indigenous peoples means.
- Create a better understanding of how we can support Indigenous children to develop their cultural identity – an important aspect of social well-being.
- Educators will re-examine their assumptions and practice. How are they influenced by your culture and values?
- Educators will leave with back-pocket tools and ideas to implement in their programming to reflect the culture and values of Indigenous children into their programming.
Saturday, May 27, 2023 11:15 AM-12:15 PM
Inclusive Practice: Recognizing Individual Differences to Promote Participation
Inclusion is not just about learners with special needs. It is an attitude and approach that embraces diversity and learner differences and promotes equal opportunities for all children.
Overview
In this session, we will explore the concept of inclusive practice and how we can create safe and welcoming environments for all children.
Participants will learn the fundamental skills for building an inclusive classroom, and key strategies they can use to help all children feel included and participate in the daily routine.
Saturday, May 27, 2023 1:00-2:00 PM
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Executive Function From Infancy On and How to Build and Grow It Through Play This session defines what executive function is, why it is important, how it develops across ages, and how it is best supported and grown through play and play-based activities. It discusses what poor executive function is and how to address and support remedial growth in children from infancy through to school aged. |
Building Resilience - What Does Serve and Return Look Like When Communication Disorders are Present? Engaging interactive workshop that expands on the Brain Story and how it applies to communication development through a trauma-informed lens. Overview
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Saturday, May 27, 2023 2:15-3:45 PM
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Loose Parts Play Mindset - Looking For The Verb Embracing loose parts play into your setting is exciting but with this can also come the fears of the mess and constant moving about of items. In this session, you'll develop a loose parts play mindset that will take the not so boring theory and connect it to your practice in ways that will create more opportunities for child-led learning that involves deep engaged play. You'll discover true child-led learning and how the theory of loose parts play will support you to respond to the many interests of children. |
Communities of Practice; Essential Pieces of Educator Well-Being In this workshop, you will hear about two programs working to support Early Childhood Educators in BC and Ontario; the Peer Mentoring Program, a partnership between Thompson Rivers University and ECEBC, and the Building Leadership and Learning Communities Project through the AECEO. The two programs are unique, but both focus on building and supporting communities within the ECE workforce. They work to create spaces for belonging, care, reflection and inquiry, where early childhood educators can feel they are not alone. These partnerships and communities provide opportunities for educators to learn from each other, share about their work and themselves, and develop professional relationships in the field. |
Saturday, May 27, 2023 4:00-5:00 PM
In this session, Dr. Christopher Smith will provide an overview of what has happened in Alberta in the past year and what we can potentially look forward to in the next year.
To be introduced to our presenters, view the brochure here.
This conference has been approved for PD funding and 10.5 hours of release time funding from Children's Services.
Cancellation Refund Policy
All cancellation requests must be received by May 19, 2023, to receive a partial refund. No refunds will be made for requests received after May 19, 2023. Refunds are subject to a 50% cancellation fee. Refunds will be issued in the same form payment was made. Please allow up to four weeks for processing.