St. Catharines: Over 60 Registered Early Childhood Educators, program staff, volunteers, full day early learning programs and students received recognition last evening at a special awards ceremony at the Holiday Inn & Suites in St. Catharines. The ceremony was part of the Niagara Early Learning and Child Care Awards of Excellence Celebration and was coordinated by the Early Childhood Community Development Centre (ECCDC) with longstanding supporter Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario (AECEO).
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To be held Thursday, November 7 at the Holiday Inn Suites St. Catharines Conference Centre.
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Thanks to a two-year, $150,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario, the Kiwanis Clubs of Niagara and the Early Childhood Community Development Centre (ECCDC) will provide science and technology learning kits to approximately 175 licensed child care programs in Niagara over the next two years. The two organizations have undertaken similar projects together; most recently a project which provided Niagara’s licensed child care programs with numeracy based educational materials. In addition to receiving the play based learning kit, the project will include a training component for the Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) who will use the new science resources in their child care programs.
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Exploring & Celebrating Niagara’s History! Families and educators from across Niagara were invited to attend a special celebration of literacy and history at the MacBain Community Centre in Niagara Falls. This exciting event took place on Saturday March 23 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.

It featured many free activities for children and families, including a storytelling circle, a virtual scavenger hunt, a make-and-take project, face painting, and puppet making. The authors of two books about Niagara’s colourful history were on hand to answer questions and sign copies of their books, which were also be availale for sale.
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Article, St. Catharines Standard.
Article & Photos, SNAP Niagara Falls

The ECCDC is pleased to announce the launch of a new project that will enhance the ability of francophone early learning and child care programs to observe and document children’s learning. The project is being funded in part by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and will involve the provision of materials, equipment, and training to Francophone Early Childhood Educators working in more than 30 child care, family support, and Ontario Early Years facilities in three communities: Niagara, Sudbury, and Ottawa.
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