Date: Wednesday Oct 20, 2021 7pm-9pm AND Saturday Oct 23, 2021 Time: 9am – 12noon Cost: $65 Total PD hours: 5 hours Location: ONLINE Presenter: Liz Hicks

Description: In response to popular demand, we are offering a virtual bus tour/workshop visiting four (4) child care centres that have inspiring spaces and environments – inside and outside.
We will reflect, discuss, and look at ideas on ways in which learning environments could inspire ourselves, the children, and Families. We have a moral and ethical responsibility to maintain our values for children not just during the pandemic (I know this has been almost impossible!), but to also plan for the future.
On Wednesday evening, we will be visiting Dr. Jane Norman Child Study Centre and Jane Norman College After School Program, in Truro. This will be partly as a power point and in real time.
More information on the Dr. Jane Norman Child Study Centre (Lab school; 18 mths-5 years of age, plus a school age program; non-profit) https://www.janenorman.ca/about-us/supports/child-study-centre/ A quote from their web site:
We believe all children are born full of potential. They are capable, confident and curious little beings who are fascinated by this world they live in. We believe that all children are endowed with natural instincts to learn through play, exploration and discovery. Play is nature’s way in which children learn about themselves and the world they live in.
On Saturday morning we will virtually visit- with a mixture of video, power point and in real time tours:
Small World Learning Centre, Bridgewater (non-profit; 18mths – school age) Award-winning Small World Learning Centre is the only childcare organization in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, housed in its own facility designed especially for children, an attractive and modern building constructed in 2007.
More information can be found at: https://www.smallworldbridgewater.com/#0 . A quote from their web site:
Small World has been offering programs for young children in Bridgewater since 1978. Today we offer several different programs of care and education based on Reggio-inspired principles and Forest & Nature for children between the ages of 18 months to 12 years.
Tallahassee Preschool and After school, “ Guiding their way” (private; 6 months to school age) situated in a community school. More information can be found at: https://www.tallahasseedaycare.ca/ . A quote from their website:
At Tallahassee, we are inspired by emergent curriculum teaching. This is a way of planning curriculum that focuses on being responsive to children’s interest to create meaningful learning experiences. Children thrive and learn best when their interests are captured. This involves a lot of creativity and flexibility on the part of the teachers. There is no knowing where the learning will end up, but this makes the curriculum more exciting for the teachers and children. We believe outdoor learning is just as valuable as indoor. We make frequent visits to Fisherman’s Cove and our local gardens.
There will be plenty of time to ask questions, and requests to revisit favourite areas of their programs!
Objectives: • Increased understanding of what makes an environment inspiring
• Demonstrated how intentional design of environments are important to children’s development
• Provide strategies to take & apply these ideas to your own environment

Presenter Biography: Liz Hicks has over 31 years working within the early childhood field, as an elementary school teacher, administrator of & teacher in a part –day program for 23 years, 5.5 years as an inclusion facilitator for Partner-ships for Inclusion, part time faculty with NSCECE, & she is also a private consultant working with various Centres in H.R.M providing professional development in a variety of topics, environmental & inclusion rating scales, & program coordination. Her passion is to help educators (& administrators) find & develop their potential, so they can help chil-dren find & develop their potential.