22nd Annual Summer Institute on Early Childhood Development
Power and Potential – The ECE Workforce as a Force for Social Change
The Summer Institute is an annual collaboration between the School of Early Childhood at George Brown Polytechnic and the Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development at the University of Toronto. The Institute brings together educators, system leaders, researchers, policymakers, and advocates to explore pressing issues in the early years.
This year’s theme, Power and Potential – The ECE Workforce as a Force for Social Change, highlights the essential role educators play as leaders, advocates, and equity champions in and outside the classroom. Through keynote presentations, panel discussions, and interactive workshops, participants will explore how educators influence systems, strengthen communities, and advance justice in the early years.
Sessions include topics such as anti-racist and gender-expansive pedagogy, Indigenous perspectives on quality, immigration and workforce diversity, equity-focused professional development, and integrated service models that foster continuity for children and families.
Together, we will reflect on the power and potential of the early childhood workforce to shape meaningful change and create environments where all children and families can thrive.
Morning Keynote
When Educators Lead, Systems Change
Throughout her decades of leadership in the Northwest Territories, Rita Mueller has championed educators across federal, provincial, territorial, and Indigenous governments. She recognizes that a united educator profession is essential to strengthening and evolving education and child care systems. She has been a driving force behind early childhood system reforms, including the establishment of full-day Junior Kindergarten, which continues to deliver significant and lasting impacts on child outcomes across the NWT.
In this keynote, Rita reflects on how educators become powerful change agents when they are valued, supported, and equipped with the right tools. Through stories from northern schools and system-wide initiatives she helped lead, Rita illustrates how meaningful relationships, culturally grounded practice, and strong public oversight can transform the lives of children and families. Her message is both inspiring and practical—when we invest in educators, we invest in community well-being and long-term social change.
RITA MUELLER
President, Northwest Territories Teachers’ Association
Over the past 30 years, Rita has had the opportunity and privilege to work as a classroom teacher, guidance counsellor, and school principal, and in a range of senior educational leadership roles. Through these experiences, she has maintained a strong belief in the importance of both Canada’s early learning and child care sector and the K–12 public education system. She also believes these two systems must find new and creative ways to work together to unify and strengthen the programs and services available to children and youth across Canada.
Panel One: Addressing Bias in Early Childhood Systems
This panel helps educators identify and address bias in both their professional practice and the systems they work within. Bringing together leaders in early years system management, family support, and early childhood research, the discussion explores how inequities can be embedded in policies, funding models, and everyday institutional practices.
Panelists share practical strategies for recognizing bias, reflecting on assumptions, and strengthening equity-informed decision-making. The conversation highlights how educators can use their professional insight to advocate for more inclusive, fair, and responsive early learning systems that truly serve all children and families.
MAGDALINA JANUS, PhD
Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia; Professor (part-time), Offord Centre for Child Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University
Dr. Janus is a professor at the UBC Vancouver Department of Pediatrics, the incoming Sunny Hill BC Leadership Chair in Child Development, and a former Ontario chair in early childhood development at the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University. She is also one of the core scientists with the WHO Global Scales for Early Development project that creates measurement and indicators of development for children under age three. Together with the late Dr. Dan Offord, Magdalena developed a measure of children’s developmental health at school entry, the Early Development Instrument, which is used by communities to monitor the state of early childhood development in Canada and internationally. Magdalena’s research broadly focuses on social determinants of children’s health, with a special focus on children with neurodisabilities.
SHANNON BROWN, B.A., Dipl. M.M., RECE
Manager Children’s Services, United Counties of Leeds and Grenville
Shannon is a Registered Early Childhood Educator with over 30 years of experience supporting children, families, educators, and communities through a wide range of early learning and child care roles. She holds a Degree in Sociology, a Diploma in Early Childhood Education, and an Executive Diploma in Municipal Management. Her professional background includes work as a kindergarten and school-age educator, site supervisor, home child care provider, EarlyON CFC program facilitator, and Early Literacy Specialist. She has also taught at the post-secondary level as a College Professor in both Ontario and Nova Scotia, contributing to the development of future early childhood professionals. For the past nine years, Shannon has served in the role of Children’s Services Manager at the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, where she provides leadership in service delivery, system planning and management.
NICOLA LYLE
Chief Executive Officer, Peterborough Child & Family Centres
Nicola Lyle is co-chair of the Early Years Provincial Network and CEO of Peterborough Child & Family Centres (PCFC), where she oversees EarlyON programs, licensed child care, and family support services. She has worked in the early years and human services sector for over two decades, bringing expertise in community partnerships and family engagement. Before joining PCFC, she held roles in child welfare and municipal social services.
Panel Two: Leading Inclusion from the Classroom to the Community
This panel focuses on the role of pedagogy in advancing equity and inclusion in early learning settings. Featuring leaders whose work demonstrates how educators act as change makers, the discussion explores teaching approaches that honour children’s identities, respond to diverse learning needs, and create culturally safe environments.
Panelists examine how educators identify barriers to inclusion, foster belonging through daily practice, and extend their impact beyond the classroom by working with families, communities, and policy partners. The session highlights how intentional pedagogy can drive meaningful change for children and families.
Christine McLean, PhD
Associate Professor and Chair, Child and Youth Study Department, Mount Saint Vincent University
Dr. McLean has been involved in early childhood education for over four decades in both Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia. She has held a variety of roles, including college instructor, registrar of certification, child care policy analyst with the NL Provincial Government, provincial manager of the ECE program at the College of the North Atlantic, and, most recently, faculty member at Mount Saint Vincent University. She has also held executive positions with a variety of provincial and national organizations including AECENS, AECENL, the Canadian Association for Young Children, the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada, and the Child Care Human Resources Sector Council. She is currently a member of the National Advisory Council on ELCC.
SHELLY MEHTA, RECE, OCT, PhD
Professor and Program Coordinator, George Brown Polytechnic; Vice President, Canadian Association for Social Justice Education
Dr. Mehta’s work focuses on amplifying historically silenced narratives of students, children, families, and communities through anti-racist and liberatory frameworks grounded in counter-storytelling and strength-based pedagogy/andragogy. She is co-author of the Early Childhood Education Report 2023, and co-lead of the ECE Faculty CARE Collective at the AECEO. Her recent projects look at social justice and AI integration in education.
DAVID PHILPOTT, PhD
Retired Professor of Special Education, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Dr. Philpott is a retired professor of inclusive education and a respected researcher, knowledgeable consultant, and articulate advocate for healthy child development. During his 40-year career as an educator and therapist, he has been at the forefront of informing societal approaches to supporting vulnerable children and empowering their families. Dr. Philpott is passionate about child development, with notable experience in areas such as inclusion, early childhood education, and childhood disabilities. His contributions to education and policy development have been significant and he continues to create and mobilize knowledge to inform public policy.
AMANDA PONT-SHANKS, RECE, BECE (Hons)
Manager, Early Learning and Childcare Programs and Services, Métis Nation of Ontario
Amanda has more than 20 years of experience in early learning and child care. Her lived experience navigating autism spectrum disorder within her family has shaped a strong commitment to accessibility and inclusion in the early years. Amanda has served as programs and services manager for early learning and child care at the Métis Nation of Ontario for nearly seven years and is a member of the National Advisory Council for Early Learning and Child Care. As a citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario, with family connections to Manitoba, she advocates at both provincial and federal levels for Indigenous ways of knowing and for inclusive systems that ensure all children, regardless of their support needs, feel seen, respected, and heard in their learning environments.
Amelia Rupsys RECE, Ba.Sc., B.ed
President, ECRCNO
Amelia is an early years leader, consultant, and advocate with more than 15 years of experience in early learning and child care. She currently serves as President of the Early Childhood Resource Consultant Network of Ontario (ECRCNO), where her work focuses on strengthening the field of resource consultation and its role in supporting inclusive practice across the sector. Amelia brings a deep understanding of child care programs, special needs resourcing, and system-level collaboration, which informs her approach to capacity building and advocacy. She is deeply passionate about supporting inclusion in child care programs by promoting reflective, well-supported environments that enable educators to deepen and sustain inclusive practice. Through her leadership with ECRCNO, Amelia helps support the advancement of resource consultation and inclusive practice across the province through system-level advocacy, professional learning, and reflective practice, helping ensure children with disabilities are meaningfully included in their communities with appropriate and sustainable supports.
Special Presentation
A Tribute to Dr. Jennifer Jenkins
Outgoing Chair, Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development
With deep gratitude and admiration, we honour Dr. Jennifer Jenkins as she concludes her outstanding tenure as chair of the Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development.
Professor Jenkins received her PhD in psychology from the University of London’s Institute of Child Health in 1987 and joined the University of Toronto as an assistant professor in 1991. An internationally recognized scholar and leader in the field of child development and mental health, Dr. Jenkins has made transformative contributions to the generation and dissemination of scientific knowledge. With a focus on the cognitive and social-emotional development of preschool and school-aged children, she has led rigorous longitudinal cohort studies examining the interplay between biological vulnerability and high-risk environments, consistently bridging research with policy and practice to advance real-world impact.
As chair of the Atkinson Centre, Dr. Jenkins has brought exceptional intellectual depth and integrity. During her tenure, the Centre strengthened its national and international profile, expanded cross-sector partnerships, and advanced its mission to mobilize evidence that informs policy and improves outcomes for children and families.
On behalf of the entire Atkinson Centre community, we extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Jenkins for her extraordinary service and lasting legacy. We wish her every success in this next chapter and look forward to continued collaboration in the years ahead.
Afternoon Keynote
Reimagining Early Childhood Education Through Social Justice
Dr. Brady is an anti-racist educator, activist, community leader, and award-winning Black studies scholar. In this keynote, she explores how early childhood educators can act as powerful agents of social change. Drawing on her research, informed by the experiences of Black children, Black families, and Black educators, she reflects on how early learning environments can either reinforce or challenge systemic inequities. Through her focus on Black feminisms, Black mothering, and community-based responses to discrimination, she invites participants to consider how educators can create spaces that honour children’s identities and foster true inclusion.
JANELLE BRADY, PhD
Assistant Professor, School of Early Childhood Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University
Dr. Brady (she/her) is an award-winning Black studies scholar, author, and activist-researcher focused on Black mothering, Blackness in early childhood studies, and Black feminisms. She curates and teaches courses on equity, Black childhoods, and social justice pedagogies.
She is the recipient of several awards, including the and the —both from Toronto Metropolitan University—as well as the 2021 Emerging Leader Award and the from the University of Toronto.
She is also the co-founder and director of the Downsview Advocate, a community-based newspaper in Toronto’s north end, and is president of the Ontario NDP.
Workshops
Our workshops explore key issues in early learning and care, offering insights and strategies from experts across the sector. Sessions cover a range of topics, from workforce sustainability to innovative practices, fostering discussions that inform policy and practice.
Immigration, Equity, and the Future of Early Childhood Education
Yolande Pottie-Sherman, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Memorial University, Newfoundland
Immigration is playing a growing role in shaping Canada’s early childhood workforce, yet the experiences of immigrant educators and the communities they serve often remain overlooked. This workshop invites participants to explore how demographic change, migration patterns, and workforce mobility influence early learning environments and the broader goals of equity and social justice.
The session explores the opportunities and challenges that immigrant educators face, the systemic barriers that affect workforce participation, and the role early years programs play in supporting newcomer families. Through discussion and reflection, the workshop highlights how immigration enriches the early learning field and how educators can contribute to building responsive and vibrant communities.
Gender-Expansive and Trans-Affirmative Pedagogy in Early Childhood Education
Shailja Jain, RECE, M.Ed., PhD Candidate
Professor and Coordinator, School of Early Childhood, George Brown Polytechnic
This workshop explores how gender-expansive and trans-affirming pedagogies can transform early learning environments into places of belonging and possibility. Grounded in her work as an educator and researcher in equity and leadership studies, Shailja guides participants in examining how everyday decisions and interactions can disrupt systemic barriers and advance justice in the early years.
Participants reflect on practices that honour diverse identities, challenge exclusion, and foster meaningful relationships with children and families. The session also highlights the importance of educator advocacy, professional voices, and collective action in building equitable early childhood systems.
Strengthening Practice Through Policy and Professional Learning
Maria Troia, RECE
Coordinator, Training and Development (Bilingual), City of Toronto
Meghan Ardies, RECE
Coordinator, Training and Development, City of Toronto
Toronto Children’s Services is a leader in measuring program quality in early learning settings and fostering inclusive environments. Drawing on their work with Toronto Children’s Services, Maria and Meghan provide an overview of recent updates to Toronto’s Quality Rating Improvement System, which now reflects updated inclusive language and principles.
These updates centre on respect, equity, and diversity, supporting educators in creating spaces where children and families experience a genuine sense of belonging and see their identities and lived experiences reflected. The session explores how these changes can guide early learning professionals in strengthening inclusive approaches within everyday practice.
The session also highlights professional learning initiatives offered through Toronto Children’s Services, developed in collaboration with community partners, which support ongoing learning and growth related to inclusive practice across the early learning and child care sector.
Honouring Indigenous Approaches to Quality Assessment
Michal Perlman, PhD
Professor, Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology, OISE, University of Toronto; Chair, Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development
Gail Francis, M.Ed.
Indigenous Early Learning Child Care Coordinator, Mawiw Council Inc.
Quality in early learning is shaped by relationships, community, and cultural context. This workshop introduces an Indigenous-informed approach to the Assessment for Quality Improvement (AQI), grounded in Indigenous worldviews and ways of knowing. It highlights practices that honour children’s identities, support belonging, and reflect the interconnectedness of learning, land, and community.
The workshop leaders guide participants in exploring how Indigenous perspectives can deepen understandings of quality beyond conventional assessment tools. Participants consider how these approaches can inform practice, strengthen relationships with families, and support more meaningful program planning.
Building Seamless Experiences Educator Leadership in the Waterloo Model
Melissa Hilton, RECE, BSW, M.Ed.
Extended Day Program Manager, Waterloo Region District School Board
This workshop explores how the seamless day model in Waterloo Region positions early childhood educators as leaders and change makers in creating continuity, stability, and equity for children and families.
The workshop demonstrates how educators collaborate across roles, bridge instructional and care-based practices, and strengthen communication to support each child’s learning journey. Participants consider how a unified approach empowers educators to shape classroom culture, respond to diverse needs, and build stronger connections with families and school communities. Through examples from the Waterloo experience, this session highlights how integrated models can expand the influence of early childhood educators, deepen professional relationships, and contribute to a more coherent and equitable early years system.
ECE Award of Excellence
Petr Varmuza, PhD
Independent Researcher
Recipient of ECE Award of Excellence
Following his retirement from public service, Dr. Varmuza completed a PhD at the 91Ö±²¥ in 2020, further strengthening the research foundation of his systems-level work. He has since collaborated on several influential projects, including You Bet We Still Care, proposals for school board–operated child care, Knowing Our Numbers, and the Child Care Matters study. Grounded in the conviction that robust data is essential to effective policy, Petr’s research focuses on equitable access to high-quality early learning and child care, with particular attention to child care deserts and lower program quality in Toronto’s most disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
The Annual Summer Institute on Early Childhood Development is presented by:
