We Inspire Educators to Achieve
Their Professional Goals

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For Educators

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For Supervisors

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For Administrators

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Our facilitators have over 40 years of combined experience in Licensed Child Care and continue to work directly in programs daily. Our professional learning is geared toward supporting educators, leaders, and administrators in achieving their professional development goals.

We are passionate about creating opportunities to support all levels of the early learning sector to ensure a thriving and engaged workforce that’s passionate about enhancing the lives of both children and their families. Our work is rooted in deeply-held beliefs that children deserve responsive and growing educators.

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I am an Educator

Discovery Professional Learning will provide a professional development experience like you’ve never participated in before, leaving you inspired and excited to go to work.
 
We have hands-on and engaging in-person or online opportunities where you can learn new skills, solve problems and collaborate more reflectively with other educators.
 

We intentionally create conditions to help you think about WHY we do what we do, the values and beliefs that hold up our work and then build conditions for educators to consider new strategies for HOW and WHAT they want to try in their programs moving forward.

Our Self-Paced Online Courses are designed to support you with specific topics related to Nature-Based Pedagogy, Emergent Curriculum, Inquiry Based Curriculum, Play Based Curriculum, and Child-Centered Learning.

Virtual Options
In Person Options
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These modules will provide you with the theory behind why these ideas are important for early years programs, as well as with concrete and practical strategies to integrate these ideas into your program with children infant to school age.

These modules are perfect for busy educators who want to gain more knowledge about specific topics such as:

  • Risk assessments and Risky play
  • Cultivating rituals and routines with meaning
  • Connecting infants and toddlers to the natural world
  • Nature Based Storytelling strategies

Read about what others are
saying about our courses

Through this course, I have transferred more of my textbook knowledge into practice and gained a better understanding of "How does learning happen?" and the emerging curriculum in a much deeper way. The most obvious change is that I no longer think of the curriculum as something that needs to be... Read More
Through this course, I have transferred more of my textbook knowledge into practice and gained a better understanding of "How does learning happen?" and the emerging curriculum in a much deeper way. The most obvious change is that I no longer think of the curriculum as something that needs to be planned by educators and participated in by children. Instead, it can happen anywhere at any time, like providing tools for a child who wants to play in the sand or an art activity derived from a book. And I've learned to step back and look more at the children's interests and provide them with what they need rather than what I think will help them develop. It took me some time to learn this in the textbook and to actually realize
Regan, AFCS Ottawa

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I am a Supervisor

Discovery Professional Learning provides supervisors with supportive and practical in-person and online opportunities to learn new skills, solve problems and find fresh ideas and perspectives that will help solve problems such as employee turnover, enhancing educator performance, team buy-in, and improve compliance.
 

Our Online Virtual Leadership Series was created to respond to the gaps we saw in the leadership training and support that is offered to Early Learning Leaders.

We have heard supervisors say their experience was lonely, exhausting, and left folks feeling like they were constantly putting out fires. We too, had experienced this in the past and used our own story of how we moved from a disengaged, compliance-driven workplace to a values-driven, thriving community with a shared purpose and vision.

Virtual Options
In Person Options
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We used our story to create a comprehensive leadership community series that uses modules, virtual or in-person meetings, and thinking ally groups to take research-based ideas and integrate them into our organization to cultivate thriving teams.

We provide protocols, resources, and group experiences that supply supervisors with all the tools to confidently lead their teams from a place of shared values. We support leaders to come up with reality-based solutions to tackle recruitment and retention, difficult conversations, cultivating culture, and pedagogical leadership.

Read about what others are
saying about our courses

“I have found much of the course very validating. Emergent curriculum sounds like something that needs "do-ing", but I've found it is actually a natural product of a child-led program. If we are listening to children, and taking their lead, the rest comes with time (and self-reflection). When I was... Read More

“I have found much of the course very validating. Emergent curriculum sounds like something that needs "do-ing", but I've found it is actually a natural product of a child-led program. If we are listening to children, and taking their lead, the rest comes with time (and self-reflection). When I was an educator on the floor, my impulse was always to throw caution to the wind and embark on whatever adventure children wanted to take me on. If anything, my programming likely needed a bit more structure, but I have such an immense craving for children's ideas. I already know how I see the world. I'm seeking something NEW! I've heard my own story a hundred times, I want to hear theirs. 

I find a lot of my struggle has been in de-programming educators from fiercely held practices that don't seem to match their values. This course has already given me many tools to broach that conversation. Reading over the many images of the child that we can hold as educators was eye-opening. I can recognize many of the ways we can commodify children for the benefit of the educators or even the parents. I see many long-held traditions of child care that seem to cater to parents, without always bringing benefit to the children.  (Does a 3-year old need the graduation from preschool in front of a group of parents and peers? Are there ways to celebrate that milestone in a way that reflects the needs and ideas of the child?)”

Benoit, AFCS Ottawa

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I'm an Administrator

Discovery Professional Learning provides early learning child center administrators, executives of multi-site organizations and municipal program managers with a multitude of learning opportunities that are available for small and large groups of educators and administrators.

Our conferences, virtual learning series, and seminars are all customizable for your specific goals and aspirations for your community.

We have worked with large municipalities and multi-site organizations to create six-month to one-year-long comprehensive professional learning strategies to achieve the unique goals and objectives of their organization.

These custom trainings will include a variety of modalities to support your specific needs and goals such as:

  • Staff meeting support
  • Online virtual modules
  • Zoom meetings
  • In-person consultation and support
  • Environment support
  • Pedagogical documentation studies
  • Study tours
  • Conferences
  • Hand-on breakout sessions
  • Online or in-person communities of practice
  • Book studies
  • Pedagogical framework support
  • Policy support
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These are 100% customizable and are designed around your specific goals, strategic plan, and aspirations for the future with the goals of cultivating a reflective, engaged, and inspired workforce. We know that children learn best when they have educators that are fulfilled, supported, and engaged.

These plans are created to ensure all who participate have the opportunity to think critically about their current practice and consider the new ways to create belonging, well-being, engagement, and expression in their early years programs.

We will provide comprehensive mentorship support for all levels of educators including:

  • Early childhood assistants
  • Early childhood educators (New and seasoned)
  • Supervisors
  • Pedagogical Leaders
  • Directors

We ensure all of our offerings are responsive, meaningful, and impactful.

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In Person Options
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Your Guide to Mind Mapping With Children

Did you know that mapping is an intricate and detailed-oriented process that allows children to express tiny, and valuable, details? Learn more in our free eBook!
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