EYCDC February 2024 Newsletter

February Vibes

Remember the days when going down a snowbank was the only reasonable reaction to snow? We might have been shorter then... On this cold and crisp day, I hope we are getting out of snow piles and into snow pants to have some fun with children outdoors. And when you get inside (possibly with a cup of hot chocolate), here is some PD training and updates for you.

NEW! FREE PD Module: Infant Quality Care (Module 1 of 2)

This training was developed by DEECD in partnership with EYCDC (NSCECE) to support the implementation of the Infant Quality Care Grant. Click here to register. 

A message from DEECD about Infant Quality Care – Module 1 Online

 The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) has established the Infant Quality Care Grant (IQCG) to financially support infant program-related expenses, with a specific focus on enhancing the overall quality of infant care.

 Professional Learning is an essential requirement for the IQCG, serving as a crucial element of high-quality programming. This professional learning module aims to assist educators and care providers in understanding their pivotal role in an infant's social-emotional development. Presented as a self-paced program, this module offers educators and care providers:

 • An opportunity to enhance their understanding of social-emotional development and its unfolding dynamics within caregiving relationships.

 • An opportunity to reflect on how culture influences caregiving, parenting, and the social-emotional development of infants.

 Beginning January 9^th, 2024, Educators and Care Providers can access Infant Quality Care – Module 1 via the link below:

https://eycdc.nscece.com/free-PD

 Infant Quality Care - Module 2 will be available online next year. For those staff who have completed Module 1 and require Module 2 Infant Quality Care PD, they can register via: https://eypdc.ca/learning/early-learning-curriculum-framework/registration/

Staff that have completed both Module 1 and Module 2 are required to develop a Professional Development Plan with a total of six (6) hours of professional development related to their work with infants.

Infant educators are also required to participate in Communities of Practice sessions, hosted by the Department’s Early Childhood Development Consultants in March 2024.

Hands-On Workshops

We are hosting two hands-on workshops in the coming months.

The first, Food Discovery, will be facilitated by Jennifer Ferguson and take place March 27th from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at NSCECE (6208 Quinpool Rd, Halifax).

In April, we will be offering Creating a Loose Parts Library with Aya Saito. This session will take place April 10th from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at NSCECE (6208 Quinpool Rd, Halifax).

To register, give us a call at (902) 423-7113 (ext. 233).

On-Demand

Did you know the EYCDC offers an on-demand, subscription-based PD platform? Memberships start at $10.35 a month and include a 30-day free trial. Each membership includes access to more than 20 hours of PD content and free access to our Halifax-based Lending Library.

For more information, visit our online PD seminars page.

Library

In honour of African Heritage Month, we want to give you a sneak peek at something we've been working on. We are currently building our African Nova Scotian Cultural Collection alongside community members throughout Nova Scotia. We'll have more details soon as our collection comes together, but for now check out the books we currently have available for loan.

To learn more about African Heritage Month in Nova Scotia, visit https://ansa.novascotia.ca/african-heritage-month.

This month we are also showcasing some of the library's books all about love in its many shapes and sizes for Valentine’s Day!

La Saint-Valentin avec animaux by Roxanne Paradis (FR PA), Love Monster by Rachel Bright (JP BRI-L), Mouse’s First Valentine by Lauren Thompson (JP THO), Je t’aimerai toujours by Robert Munsch (FR MU-J)

For more information on our library collection, visit our catalogue here or contact us at [email protected].

NSCECE Career

 Upcoming Certificate and Diploma Programs in 2024

 At NSCECE, we have two programs designed to accommodate folks working in the ECE sector in Nova Scotia. If you have any questions about either of these upcoming programs, please contact Shawna, our Admissions Mentor: [email protected] 

ECE Hybrid Diploma 

March 26, 2024 

• 26 months to complete 
• 6:30 pm-9:30 pm 1-2 evenings/week of live online classes 
• Upon graduation eligible for a Level 2 classification 
• Apply for your level 1 classification one year into the program 

• Four full-day practicum placements  
• 50% asynchronous (self-study, recorded lectures) 
• 50% delivered online 
• Workplace practicum available for those employed in licensed childcare 
• Student loan eligible 
• Eligible for Continuous Education Reimbursement Funding