“Focusing on play” was the first in a series of Science of Early Child Development online workshops offered in conjunction with the Manitoba Child Care Association. It was very successful, with dozens of enthusiastic participants from across Manitoba.

When surveyed at the end of the workshop, participants had a high level of agreement that:

• The topics and content on the pages were valuable
• They can apply what they learned to their professional role
• They would take another online workshop if they had the opportunity
• Overall, it was a very positive experience

Participants were in small discussion groups that allowed them to ask and answer questions, connect with others, share ideas and get inspired. Having the learning spread over two weeks gave participants time to reflect on the information and start to implement new ideas to enhance the work they do with children and families.

Many commented that Professional Development can be challenging because they live too far away from training centres or because it is hard to fit evening and weekend workshops into their busy schedules. The flexibility of the online workshops – with the ability to choose when to login and participate in the workshop – removed those barriers.

The next workshop, Guiding, will run from Feb. 29 to Mar. 13. Topics include: positive discipline, relationships, aggression, friendship and mentoring. Click here for more information and registration.