Keynote Addresses and In-Person Training

Customizable Training Programs Based on Your Child Care Centres’ Goals

Discovery Professional Learning offers a range of In-Person training programs for your Early Learning Child Care Centre’s next professional development day, conference, or training event!

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Our offerings are completely customizable based on your goals, strategic plans, and the desired outcomes for your community. We will customize all sessions based on your organization's goals and vision for early learning. 

With over 40 years in the industry, our diverse facilitator team is made up of Directors, Pedagogical Leaders, and Educators - meaning we can confidently create opportunities for leaders, educators, and administrators to learn and grow.

We are passionate about designing in-person training programs that help you with your professional development goals. 

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Half-Day and Full Day Conferences

Discovery Professional Learning provides hands-on and interactive experiences that allow educators to foster Nature-Based skills and dispositions that will improve the quality of outdoor environments and experiences for children.
 

These full-day or half-day conferences can be done on our site or yours, and are specifically designed to help achieve the specific goals of your organization. We foster collaboration, engagement, and belonging through small and large group breakout sessions geared towards specific topics of interest. 

Educators will walk away with the WHY, HOW, and WHAT of Nature-Based pedagogy and will have a new set of skills and dispositions to bring into their classroom.

We are passionate about supporting all educators regardless of where they are at on their Nature-Based journey and connect all of our breakout sessions to Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years: How Does Learning Happen? 

All of our offerings are research-informed and provide theory and practice for educators in an immersive environment. We have confidently provided many in-person conferences for educators across Ontario for groups of up to 100 educators since 2018.

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Below are a few of our most requested topics. Fill out the form on the bottom of this page if you are interested in more information.

  • HapaZome
  • Weaving with Children
  • Shelters, building, and ropes
  • Risky Play
  • Cultivating an Ecological Identity
  • Tracking and Field guides
  • Gardening
  • Mud Kitchens 
  • Outdoor play with Infants & Toddlers
  • Outdoor play in all Seasons
  • Fires with children in child care?! The answer is YES!

If you are interested in learning more about other topics offered, reach out to our team of Certified Forest School Practitioners to book a free consultation. Learn how we can help you achieve all your professional development goals.

Read about what others are
saying about our courses

This was by far the most reflective leadership course I have ever been part of and the one that has influenced my daily practices the most. Karen and Jessica are highly skilled at creating an environment of self-development through reflections and provocations where participants feel safe to... Read More

This was by far the most reflective leadership course I have ever been part of and the one that has influenced my daily practices the most.

Karen and Jessica are highly skilled at creating an environment of self-development through reflections and provocations where participants feel safe to explore their own practices with curiosity, critical thinking and compassion.  We enjoyed and got so much out of the first series that we are doing another one again this year!

Kathy, Andrew Fleck Children's Services

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Key-Note Addresses

Discovery Professional Learning has a team of internationally-recognized facilitators, with a combined experience of over 40 years in the field of early learning child care across the world in countries such as Canada, China, and Jamaica.
 
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Our team is passionate about bringing awareness to the benefits of child-centered, Nature-Based learning. We can provide your community with an inspiring keynote address that responds to the important issues in our field today. 

Our facilitators have provided key note addresses to educators all across Canada about a variety of topics relating to Child Care and Early Learning, Nature-Based Pedagogy, Environments, and Leadership.

Our Key-Note Addresses are designed to motivate and inspire early childhood educators to embrace Nature-Based Learning in their environments. Below are a few of our most requested topics.

  1. Making the switch to a Nature Based Organization: Where do we begin? 
  2. Operating from a Place of Values: Making business decisions that aligns with your ethos. 
  3. Child Care Goes Green!
  4. Environments that Provoke Wonder, Joy, and Awe
  5. The Importance of Sustainable practices in Early Learning: Gardening, mud kitchens, and a plant based menu. 
  6. Our Nature Based Journey
  7. Eliminating the sentence from child care: “You can’t do that with children”…how we offer fire, tools, and ropes in a licensed child care center
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Study Tours

Our hands-on study tours, participants will be taken on a guided tour of the Nature classroom and outdoor facilities. We will discuss how to set up a Nature classroom, the benefits of connecting children with Nature and how to facilitate a Nature-Based program.
 
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Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and take photos throughout the tour, and will be taken on a guided Nature walk though our Forest School space. 

Discovery Professional Learning will discuss the benefits of Forest School and Nature-Based learning. A variety of topics will be covered such as sit spots, safety rules, emergent learning, provocations/invitations, as well as documenting the Forest experience. 

This is a low cost option for those interested to see the possibilities of the Nature-Based philosophy up close and personal, in an environment where we have realized great success from its implementation!

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Staff Meetings

If you have big goals for your organization but you aren’t sure how to take these ideas and gain buy-in and engagement from your team, we can help!
 
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Discovery Professional Learning has extensive experience in building, creating, and facilitating captivating staff meetings that boost morale, reignite engagement, and cultivate belonging amongst teams. 

We provide comprehensive training with teams on how to create a supportive environment for RECE’s and assistants in an emergent, play-based and Nature-Based program. Staff will be provided with leadership strategies and approaches to staff training. Participants will take part in discussions and will be led through scenario-based questions as a group.

We work collaboratively with leadership teams to understand the values of your organization and the desires you have for the future. We then use that knowledge to build a comprehensive training opportunity that is engaging, exciting, and sustainable. 

Discovery Professional Learning believes in the power of leadership and the impact it can have on thriving, happy classrooms. Isn’t that what we all want? We can help you get there!

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Coaching and Consulting

We build training programs that ensure each educator has the tools, skills, and dispositions necessary to be a part of the growing number of professionals that provide high-quality care and learning to children in Ontario.
 
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Discovery Professional Learning works alongside your leadership team to support coaching, mentorship and reflective practice - with an emphasis to integrate the Forest and Nature school ethos and improve the quality of your programs. 

We will custom build training programs for your unique location, your staff, and your team based on your goals and experience. Give us a call or email to book a free consultation today.

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Your Guide to Pedagogical Documentation

Pedagogical Documentation is the process of making learning visible via taking photos of the learning process, saving artwork, videoing action, making notices and recording voice, and then using that documentation purposefully. 

Free Consultation

We will custom-build training programs for your unique location, your staff, and your team based on your goals and experience.

Request a Consultation