Our Committees

Strive is made up of several committees and working groups that inform our work. In order to encompass the voice of all professionals in the community, we invite practitioners to join the conversations.

  • Advisory Committee

  • Professional Learning Committee

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Advisory Committee

Strive is a responsive, community driven organization with an Advisory Committee that is tasked with ensuring the strategies and tactics are put into action. Members of the Advisory Committee represent the diversity and complexity of the Child Care and Early Years sector. Strive leverages administrative support from a backbone organization; Childreach, and takes all organizational initiatives to the membership for endorsement.

The advisory committee is made up of the following members:

  • Ally Scott – Strive (on maternity leave)

  • Amanda Benton – London District Catholic School Board

  • Amy Petrarca – Strive

  • Angela Woodburn – London Bridge Child Care Services

  • Bre Piccolotto – Strive

  • Cyndi Frizelle – YMCA of Southwestern Ontario

  • Holly Gerrits – Thames Valley District School Board

  • Jennifer Miller – Parkwood Children’s Centre

  • Jenn Nguyen – Strive

  • Jesse Walker – Strive

  • Kayla Bartlett – Strive

  • Kayla Paquette – Strive

  • Kelly Smith – County of Middlesex

  • Kelly Walker – Good Beginnings

  • Lee-Anne Cross – All Kids Belong / Merrymount

  • Linda Grainger – London Children’s Connection

  • Lori Webber – Whitehills Childcare Association

  • Olivia Musico – Strive

  • Sheryl Third – Fanshawe College

  • Teresa Sulowski – St Thomas-Elgin Children’s Services

  • Yvette Scrivener – Childreach

Professional Learning Committee

MISSION:

To influence, support and promote accessible professional learning opportunities within the Early Childhood Community in London and five surrounding counties.

GOALS:

  • To influence the early learning community to provide learning opportunities that align with evidence-based practice.

  • To support our community to participate in learning opportunities that contribute to individual goals and the advancement of our profession.

  • To promote a professional learning culture that upholds a high image of children, families and educators.

For our guiding principles, click here: Guiding Principles of Professional Learning

The professional learning committee is made up of the following members:

  • Allison Beauchamp - Middlesex County EarlyON

  • Ally Scott – Strive (on maternity leave)

  • Amanda Benton – London District Catholic School Board

  • Amy Petrarca – Strive

  • Anne Erikson – La Ribambelle

  • Bre Piccolotto – Strive

  • Erika Murray – Kilworth Children’s Centre

  • Heather Bywaters – Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU)

  • Jenn Nguyen – Strive

  • Jenny Britt – YMCA of Southwestern Ontario

  • Kathy Harris – London Bridge Child Care Services

  • Kayla Bartlett – Strive

  • Kayla Paquette – Strive

  • Kirsti Cheese – Childreach / Community Connector System Coordinator

  • Lauren Goossens – Early Learning Centre Orchard Park

  • Maddie Torrefranca – London Children’s Connection

  • Nadine Devin – Middlesex County Public Library

  • Nancy Liabotis – All Kids Belong

  • Olivia Musico – Strive

  • Sarah Brown – London Children’s Connection

  • Sheri Spriggs – St. Thomas-Elgin Children’s Services

  • Sherri Doyle – Good Beginnings

  • Steve Sellarajah – Fanshawe College

  • Teresa Sulowski – St Thomas-Elgin Children’s Services

  • Teri McCullagh – All Kids Belong

New Strategic Plan!

We are pleased to share with you our strategic plan for 2024 – 2026, Leading Inspired Learning. The early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector is constantly evolving. This plan outlines the change we want to inspire and the strategies we will implement in the next three years.

Over the next three years, we will leverage our knowledge and expertise to build capacity in the sector. We will strengthen leadership and create opportunities for connection. We will focus on advancing mentorships in all its complex facets. We will embed equity, diversity, and inclusion in all we do.

Together, we will strive to reach our goal of an engaged and empowered early years community.

We hope you will join us in leading inspired learning!

Join the ECE Professional Resource Centre

Strive is here to support all your professional learning needs. We have an inventory of physical resources that can be borrowed to support your program’s needs. You can browse our inventory online before committing to a membership.

In addition, we understand that it may be difficult to attend professional learning events in addition to your work day but that you value your professional growth. That is why we created an online learning platform, Strive Online, with digital resources, prerecorded webinars, live recorded sessions, and printouts that you can access any day, any time! We will continue to grow our online library of resources in response to the community’s needs. Strive Online resources are free to access.

Early Learning Professionals are invited to join the ECE Professional Resource Centre: