Group Gatherings

One of the exciting ways that the MFI Early Years is gathering people together is at national Leadership Exchange events. Most recently we gathered with members of partner community organizations across the country to share, learn and work together towards our shared goals of supporting Indigenous children and their families.

One of the engaging and fun activities participants played was an adapted version of a “Snakes and Ladders” game. Small groups gathered around a game board and took turns rolling the dice. Each square on the game board included a questions about the topic at hand (in this case, Supportive Circles) that the person rolling the dice answered, often prompting interesting discussion amongst group members.

We have also witnessed the value of groups from different parts of the country gathering at an Early Years centre to learn from members of the host site. These types of informal mentorship opportunities allow those who are more familiar with Early Years programming to share their knowledge in a very hands-on atmosphere. While we recognize the value and ease of meeting online, gathering together in person for co-learning and collaboration was invaluable. We witnessed many opportunities for those in different types of roles at their respective organizations to brainstorm effective strategies for engaging families, facing new challenges, and supporting each other through a variety of semi-structured activities.

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Photography by Louise Johns, Jamie Griffiths, Cathie Archbould, Matthew Perrin, Josie Rain and Alex Jacobs-blum; Videography by Red River College, Jamie Griffiths, Cathie Archbould, Sean Stiller, Pardeep Sooch and Catherine Martin

514 982 3911 treesnetwork@themfi.ca
300-759 Victoria Square Montreal, QC, H2Y 2J7
www.earlyyears.themfi.ca

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The Training & Resources for Early Education & Schools (TREES) Network is a space for delivering and accessing culturally appropriate training, professional development, resources, communities of practice and mentorship opportunities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous early learning professionals working with Indigenous children and families.

By coming together across communities, organizations and cultures, we can impact the bigger picture of Indigenous early education, child assessment and policy in Canada, so that Indigenous children will grow up proud of their culture and knowing that they belong.

The vision of the TREES Network is for early learning professionals to feel supported through training, resources and connections with others. The TREES Network strives to support early learning professionals to ground Indigenous children in their culture, nurturing stronger communities.

ACCESS TRAINING

The TREES Network supports access to culturally appropriate training and professional development for early learning professionals through the Understanding the Early Years course and Early Years Toolbox workshops. View upcoming trainings and workshops for your community through the Events Calendar.

EXPLORE RESOURCES

The TREES Network supports access to the Early Years Toolbox website, as well as access to accompanying resources through the Early Learning Library. Your access to resources is determined by your organization or community affiliation. Explore the Featured Partners page to view resources created by and in collaboration with Early Years partners.

CONNECT WITH OTHERS

To promote relationship-building and relational learning, the TREES Network provides opportunities for early learning professionals to build connections across the country. You can check out the Events Calendar to find events related to the early years, view the Interactive Map of early years services in different regions, or learn more about Supportive Circles as spaces to come together with others locally or across communities to share thoughts, ideas and support.

CREATE IMPACT

The TREES Network strives to create spaces through which we can collectively impact the bigger picture of Indigenous early learning in Canada. Learn about how Early Years sites are doing this through Early Years approach innovations, and about the important work many other organizations are doing to influence policy, curriculum, access to funding supports and program evaluation.