Click here for article and event photos from the 2015 Niagara Early Learning & Child Care Awards of Excellence in Our Niagara.

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Article in Snapd St. Catharines.

Article in Snapd St. Catharines.

More than 45 Registered Early Childhood Educators, volunteers, full day early learning programs and students received recognition on Thursday November 19 at a special awards ceremony at the Holiday Inn & Suites in St. Catharines. The ceremony was part of the 19th Annual Niagara Early Learning and Child Care Awards of Excellence celebration and was coordinated by the Early Childhood Community Development Centre (ECCDC).

There were more than 370 people in attendance at the medieval masquerade, sponsored by Louise Kool & Galt, one of Canada's leading suppliers of classroom resources and equipment. Eight local businesses also supported the event, including: Gold Level Sponsors A Child's World Family Child Care Services of Niagara, Meridian Credit Union, and St. Catharines Standard; Silver Level Sponsors PenFinancial Credit Union, the YMCA of Niagara, and HiMama Inc.; and Bronze Level Sponsors Future Access Inc., Minuteman Press, and the University of Guelph-Humber....
Click here to view/download the full media release.

Our Team at the Early Childhood Community Development Centre (ECCDC) had no idea that we would be embarking on such a heartwarming journey with the acceptance of a proposal we had submitted to the New Horizons for Seniors Program of the Government of Canada in August 2014. We were absolutely thrilled in being the successful recipient of a $25,000 grant. We quickly brought together a variety of community partners to form an Advisory Committee to inform planning and to offer guidance throughout the project.
Click here to read full article, by Lorrey Arial Bonilla OCT, B.A. (Hons) Child Studies, B.Ed. Executive Director and Katelyn Robins, RECE, B.A. (Hons), Early Learning and Child Care Program Consultant of the ECCDC.

Niagara's 19th Annual Early Learning and Child Care Awards of Excellence will take place on Thursday, November 19, from 5:30 to 9:00 pm at the Holiday Inn & Suites on Ontario Street in St. Catharines. Lori Love from 105.7 EZ Rock will emcee the event. This year's event will feature a medieval masquerade theme and approximately 300 guests are expected to attend.

The Awards of Excellence is coordinated each year by the Early Childhood Community Development Centre (ECCDC). This year's gala will include greetings from Darlene Edgar, Niagara Region's Director of Children's Services and Vice President of the College of Early Childhood Educators; Lois Mahon, President of the College of Early Childhood Educators; and Shani Halfon, Interim Coordinator with the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario....
Click here to view/download the full media release.

Children's science and technology learning has been enhanced in over 150 licensed early childhood programs thanks to the Kiwanis Clubs of Niagara and the Early Childhood Community Development Centre (ECCDC). The Science and Technology project, which began in 2012 and took two years to complete, is the most recent of a series of initiatives the Kiwanis Clubs of Niagara and the ECCDC have undertaken together, with the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Louise Kool & Galt, Niagara Region Children's Services, and other local organizations.
Click here to read full article, by Andrea Hannen and Lorrey Arial Bonilla, published in the AECEO's Summer 2015 issue of eceLINK.

View the TV Cogeco Niagara video with Tim Gill during the Niagara stop in his cross-Canada tour to speak about more child-friendly communities and the need for more outdoor play among children.

View the St. Catharines Standard's article on the Tim Gill event, From Protection to Resilience: Why Do Educators Need to Take a Balanced Approach to Risk, and What Does it Look Like?