Who is this summit for?

Why Attend?

Topic Streams - What topics will you see?

• DEI & Anti-Racist Education in ECE
• ECE Entrepreneurship
• Child Socio-Emotional Development
• Language, Literacy & Speech 

Register TODAY to save your spot!

Event Schedule:

Day One:

Friday, January 17th, 2025 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST

• Welcome to The ECC Virtual Summit!
• "Fostering Parent Relationships in the Early Years" with Nathalie James
• "Honouring Every Child's Voice: Speech and Language Insights for Educators" with Tammy Kelly & Semona Basin

Day TWO:

Saturday, January 18th, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST

• Welcome to Day Two!
• "A New Approach to Emotional Development: Insights from Tiny Humans, Big Emotions" with Alyssa Blask Campbell
• "From Classroom to CEO: The ECE Entrepreneurial Roundtable" with Anisha Angella & Guests
• "Mental Health Awareness for Early Childhood Educators" with Taylor Aiyadurai
• "From Bias to Belonging: Transforming Early Childhood Classrooms & Programs" with Dr. Jasmine Moses
  

Day Three:

Sunday, January 19th, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST

• Welcome to Day Three!
• "Ready, Set, Playful: Organizing the Infant Room with Flair" with Sophie Rayner-Grignon
• "The Basics of Understanding Attention-Seeking Behaviours" with Shelby Secoura
• "The Literacy Toolbox: Resources, Programs, and Practical Tips" with Melissa Gagnon
• Live Interview: ECC 2024 Winners
• Q&A Panel: Ask An Advisor!

Meet Your Host!

Meet Our ECC Speakers!

Sophie Rayner-Grignon

ECE Community Advisor & Facilitator

Nathalie James

ECE Community Advisor & Facilitator

Nathalie James boasts nine years of experience in early childhood education, holding various roles including educator, supervisor, and director in both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. She has served as an Early Years Supervisor for EarlyON centres, conducted numerous parenting workshops, and managed sites with capacities of up to 150 children and over 30 staff members. Nathalie's current focus is on providing leadership and workshops on early development and social skills for families with children aged 0-6.

Her proudest achievements include building lasting relationships with families and supporting fellow educators in understanding the crucial importance of early childhood education. Driven by her passion for ECE, Nathalie finds inspiration in working with children and is committed to advocating for the early years' sector, using her extensive experience to educate and collaborate with dedicated educators.

Shelby Secoura

ECE Community Advisor & Facilitator

Taylor Aiyadurai

ECE Community Advisor & Facilitator

Taylor Aiyadurai has a decade of experience in early childhood education, including roles as an Early Childhood Assistant, Registered Early Childhood Educator, EarlyON Coordinator, Childcare Supervisor, and Childcare Director. She has worked with children from infants to 12-year-olds in diverse settings, including for-profit centers, non-profits, EarlyON programs, and schools.

Taylor has reshaped curricula to balance education and play-based learning, offers professional development for educators, and enhances family-childcare center relationships. She collaborates with district resource consultants to support children with enhanced needs in for-profit centers.

Passionate about creating supportive, inclusive environments, Taylor believes quality early education is crucial for cognitive, social, and emotional growth, ensuring every child receives a nurturing start for a more knowledgeable and empathetic future generation.

Meet Our Special Guest Speakers!

Join us for insightful sessions featuring special guest speakers who are leaders in the early childhood education field. They will share their expertise and experiences, providing valuable perspectives on current trends and best practices.

Dr. Jasmine Moses is the owner of Equity in Bloom, an initiative dedicated to empowering caregivers and educators to raise and teach the next generation through Anti-Bias and Anti-Racist practices. As an Anti-Bias Early Childhood Educator, she provides resources, professional development, and support to help implement these essential practices in early childhood settings. With a background as an early childhood teacher and community worker, Dr. Moses is passionate about fostering justice and equity from a young age. Her work is focused on creating inclusive and respectful environments for all children and their families, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive.

Erica Saccoccio is an entrepreneur and advocate in the childcare industry, owning multiple centers where she fosters individualized, nurturing learning environments. With over a decade of experience, Erica ensures that early childhood education is both impactful and enjoyable for children, helping them thrive.

As a co-author of Women Excelling Everywhere, Erica shares her experiences navigating challenges in the childcare field, promoting women’s empowerment, and offering strategies to avoid burnout. Her insights resonate with others in the industry, inspiring resilience and passion for meaningful work.

Erica also hosts The Childcare Connection podcast, where she discusses the joys and challenges of raising young children with experts and parents. A popular speaker at industry events, Erica is known for her enthusiasm and her commitment to stronger childcare policies, encouraging others to unlock each child’s potential.

Carla Ward

Founder of Early Learning Foundations

Carla Ward is a passionate and dedicated early childhood education expert with over 19 years of experience in the profession. As the founder of Early Learning Foundations and host of The Everything ECE Podcast, she is committed to transforming the way educators approach early learning. Carla has worked in a wide range of roles, from classroom educator to leadership positions, and has become a sought-after speaker, workshop facilitator, and mentor for early childhood professionals.

A certified Wonder-Based educator, Carla incorporates the power of curiosity and joy into her teaching and professional development offerings. Her unique perspective blends hands-on learning with intentional interactions, helping educators create environments that foster children’s natural love for learning. She is also known for her work on developing strong educator-family relationships and empowering early childhood professionals to take pride in their role.

Carla’s key accomplishments include launching the ECE Podcast Academy, where she supports aspiring podcasters in the early childhood education profession, and hosting The ECE Experience, an innovative professional development conference designed to celebrate and elevate early childhood educators. Additionally, she founded The ECE Latte Lounge, a vibrant community for educators to connect, learn, and grow through resources like live coffee chats and a book club. With a passion for leadership, pedagogy, observation, and documentation, Carla helps educators and supervisors rediscover their passion for the profession, encouraging them to find new ways to make a meaningful impact.

Driven by a deep belief in the potential of early learners and those who teach them, Carla Ward continuously seeks to elevate the profession and inspire others to find meaning and joy in their work.

Alyssa Blask Campbell

Founder & CEO of Seed & Sew

Alyssa Blask Campbell, CEO of Seed & Sew, has a master’s degree in early childhood education and is a leading expert in emotional development. She is a global speaker on building emotional intelligence and podcast host of Voices of Your Village, supporting people in over 100 countries. Alyssa was featured as an emotional development expert in publications such as The Washington Post, Kids VT, Burlington Free Press, and Family Education. After co-creating the Collaborative Emotion Processing (CEP) method with Lauren Stauble and researched it across the U.S. Her book, Tiny Humans, Big Emotions, is publishing with HarperCollins in the fall of 2023.

Alyssa is deeply passionate about building emotional intelligence in children, stating, “It’s never too early or too late to start.” Alyssa’s show up as you are approach welcomes people into her village to get support at all ages and stages, shame free.

Her company, Seed & Sew serves people across the globe through speaking, consulting, online courses, early childhood professional development programs, and podcasting, with tools to build emotional intelligence.

Ana is a proud mother of three, a public speaker, a consultant, and the founder of Early Years Thriving. Ana has 17+ years of experience in the childcare field. She has direct experience working with children and families using inclusive and trauma-informed approaches. Ana has 10+ years of experience working in adult education and she currently supports ECE practicum students at the college level. Ana has 8+ years of experience as a workshop facilitator and has facilitated hundreds of professional development workshops for thousands of educators, teachers, and parents. Ana has a Diploma in ECE, a Bachelor’s Degree in Child & Youth Care, and is currently completing a Master’s of Professional Education in ECE.

Semona Basin

Owner of Let's Tok Speech Therapy, Clinical Director & A Speech-Language Pathologist

Semona is a dedicated and neurodiversity-affirming speech-language pathologist based in Toronto, Ontario. She holds a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from McMaster University.

With diverse clinical experience, Semona has worked in a variety of settings, including rehabilitation centres, hospitals, private practice clinics, children’s treatment centres, and local schools. She has supported children and adults with a wide range of speech and language needs, such as speech sound disorders, orofacial myofunctional disorder, stuttering, autism, and expressive and receptive language delays.

Semona is the founder of Let's Tok Speech Therapy, a mobile private practice focused on providing safe, welcoming, and neurodiversity-affirming support for children needing support at home, daycare, or private school. Online speech therapy services are also available to families across Ontario. Her approach centers around fostering connection over correction, honouring each and every child’s unique differences, strengths, values, and sensory preferences. She follows the 3 F's in her therapy sessions: Functional, Fun, and Family-Centered Support. By focusing on functional goals through a family-centered approach, she ensures children acquire practical speech and language skills, while incorporating fun activities to keep them motivated and engaged. Her passion for helping children thrive through tailored, compassionate care is at the heart of her practice.

Melissa Gagnon

Owner of Empower Communication Services & A Speech-Language Pathologist

Melissa is the owner of Empower Communication Services.  She completed her undergraduate program in Health Science at the University of Western Ontario and her Masters in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto.  Melissa has been working as a Speech-Language Pathologist since 2011 and has experience with both children and adults in the public and private sectors. 

Melissa started a private practice eight years ago because of her passion and desire to educate and empower families to support their child(ren) be successful communicator(s) and readers! Melissa understands the importance of early literacy intervention based on the science of reading and has pursued multiple continuing education opportunities in this area.

She has developed various literacy initiatives including preschool readiness programs to support foundational literacy skills, summer literacy programs, parent information sessions, educator workshops and more. She is a guest lecturer at the University of Toronto and has been awarded the Women in Business award in 2021.

Melissa is a mother to two young children and recognizes the value of early intervention and the need to provide families with activities that can be incorporated into their every day routines.

Melody McGuire is a nationally recognized expert in Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Childcare, with over a decade of experience guiding programs toward achieving and maintaining national accreditation. As the CEO and founder of Early Childhood Educators Circle Time™, Melody has successfully assisted over 30 programs in meeting high standards through NAEYC, NECPA and other accreditation bodies, transforming childcare centers into exceptional environments for young learners.

Melody's expertise extends beyond accreditation, blending her passion for early childhood development with hands-on coaching, mentoring, and program design. She is known for her ability to tailor national standards to the unique needs of each program, ensuring not only compliance but also fostering quality education that impacts children's lives and strengthens communities.

The Countdown to the summit starts now!

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Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to expand your knowledge and connect with like-minded professionals. Register now to secure your spot at The ECC Virtual Summit 2025!

Meet Our Sponsors!

"It really helped me to take a step back and actually adhere to the speakers with different scenarios and ways to resolve things from whether my own personal experiences and experiences of being a teacher."

 Marchelle. W

"I have learned so much that I want to take back to my classroom and implement. Can't wait to share my experience with my colleagues. "

april n.

"What an amazing summit! Every speaker was so passionate, energized and knowledgeable about their topic! I loved that there was a variety of topics that were discussed to reach all audiences. I also appreciated that anyone from outside Canada could join as well and that it allowed us to bring ECE communities from all over together. "

lisa b.

"I liked the fact that we could participate via chat. Seeing other people's reactions, and responses inspired me, and sometimes, made me laugh. "

danette c.

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