pedagogy and curriculum

Disruption & Transformation

The crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted young children and families, as well as all the systems of care and support for them. Compounding this duress have been the effects and threats of climate change, as well as growing awareness of the impact of social, economic and racial inequities. Further, here in BC, there has been acknowledgement of the additional stressors and barriers faced by families with children with complex support needs.

The 2022 Early Years Conference will focus on the theme: Disruption and Transformation to reflect our changed landscapes and systems. Many services have been forced to make radical changes in how they support young children and families. Many are experiencing burnout. But some have also found power in the possibility, leading to innovation, strengthened relationships with children and families, and stronger connections across communities.

Event overview

Join us virtually on March 1 & 2, 2022 for the Early Years Conference 2022: Disruption and Transformation, where we will reflect on and explore the important but delicate relationship between these two forces. We invite those in the early childhood development, intervention and family support fields to attend the Early Years Conference 2022. We will explore the factors impacting children’s development and family support services during this challenging time.

We are pleased to announce the conference keynotes will be provided by Dr. Jennifer Charlesworth, British Columbia’s Representative for Children and Youth, and Dr. Michael Ungar, Canada Research Chair in Child, Family and Community Resilience and Professor of Social Work, Dalhousie University. We look forward to the opportunity to connect their expertise and insight to the conference theme of disruption and transformation.

Please see below for the ‘At a Glance’ Conference Program. The conference program details will be updated as speakers and sessions are confirmed. Conference registration will be launched in November 2022.

Conference Program "At a glance"

Learning Objectives

During the Early Years 2022 Conference, participants can expect to:

• Review the latest evidence-based research and practice related to child development, early childhood intervention, and family support
• Recognize the impact of disorder and disruption on children and families but also those who support them
• Be inspired – to lead, to innovate and to bounce forward
• Build stronger connections with peers and with the children and families they support

Who Should Attend

This conference will be of interest to all those who work with young children and/or families, including:

• Aboriginal/ Indigenous Early Childhood Development Professionals 
• Administrators/Managers
• Advocacy Organizations
• Behavioural Therapists
• Counsellors
• Dietitians and Nutritionists
• Early Childhood Educators
• Education Assistants
• Families
• Family Development Workers
• Family Resource Program Staff
• Government Representatives
• Infant Development Consultants
• Infant Mental Health Professionals
• Nurses 
• Occupational Therapist
• Oral Health Professionals
• Parent Educators 
• Physicians
• Physiotherapists
• Policy Makers
• Pregnancy Outreach Groups
• Program Facilitators
• Psychologists
• Recreation Therapists
• Researchers
• School Administrators
• Social Workers
• Speech Therapists
• Students
• Support Workers
• Supported Child Development Consultants
• Teachers
• Other

Many countries face the challenge of attracting and retaining well-qualified staff. The first international large-scale survey of ECEC leaders and staff (OECD TALIS Starting Strong Survey 2018) shows on the one hand, along with findings from other studies, that ECEC professionals are highly motivated and satisfied with their work. One the other hand, they also report difficult working conditions such as a lack of resources (e.g. finances, materials, time for reflection or preparation), an unfavourable child-staff-ratio, or a high workload. Staff shortages increase the burden on working staff and jeopardise the attractiveness of the occupational field as well as the quality of pedagogical work. Even if there are national and international initiatives in place to make the workplace more attractive, it is necessary to investigate whether the existing measures to improve working conditions in the field of ECEC are adequately aligned with the needs of ECEC staff and how they relate to the quality of professional practice in the ECEC setting.

• The International Centre Early Childhood Education and Care (ICEC) at the German Youth Institute invites you to discuss the following questions together with national and international stakeholders from politics, research and practice at the conference:
• How do working conditions of staff and leaders differ internationally?
• Which factors can be identified that endanger or promote the quality of professional practices in ECEC settings?
• How can centre leaders support their pedagogical team in their work?
• Which strategies and approaches to further improve working conditions are developed in other countries and what can be learned from international comparison?

Conference languages are German and English, presentations will be translated simultaneously. Attendance of the conference is free of charge. After registration, participants will receive a personalised link to access the event.

Read the full program

About the International Centre Early Childhood Education and Care (ICEC)

The International Centre Early Childhood Education and Care (ICEC) was established at the DJI in 2012. Its work includes observing international childcare systems and collating experience and research results as well as identifying good practices and helping to shape developments in the field of early childhood education and care.

In this way, the ICEC supports the international transfer of knowledge, political concepts and experience, thereby enabling Germany to draw on insights from other countries. In this connection, the ICEC is also actively involved in international panels and networks in the field of early childhood education and care.

The ICEC acts as an intermediary between national and international organizations examining questions of early childhood education and care from the point of view of scientific research, professional practice and policy-making.

Registration link

Join Canadian Scholars for a virtual launch in celebration of the publication of Equity as Praxis in Early Childhood Education and Care on June 29, 2021 at 2:00 pm EST.

Register to sit in on a round table discussion with editors Zuhra Abawi, Ardavan Eizadirad, and Rachel Berman.

Equity as Praxis in Early Childhood Education and Care aims to map, deconstruct, and engage with different models of equity as they pertain to the early childhood education landscape in Ontario. Drawing on marginalized narratives of gender, race, Indigeneity, dis/ability and inclusion, and migration, immigration, and displacement, the authors discuss how to advance the field and make it more equitable for children, families, early childhood educators, and all other practitioners. By prompting readers to reflect on and critique their understandings of children, families, communities, and practices in the field, the authors seek to provide counternarratives to Eurocentric developmentalist hegemonies and an alternative strength-based approach to critical and transformative praxis.

We'll be giving away two copies of the book and providing a 20% discount code available to all attendees, valid on canadianscholars.com June 29 - July 2, 2021.