kidSKAN Connectors Forum a great day, attendees report

We were pleased to read the evaluations from our kidSKAN connectors forum May 13th in Regina and see comments that it was a “good networking, knowledge building activity”, and a “wonderful, informative day.” Links to presentations from the day are below.

More than 60 people gathered at Queensbury Convention Centre to get to know each other with a morning of “Getting to know you” activities, to hear about early childhood development issues internationally, nationally, and in Saskatchewan, and learn more about initiatives around the province.

In the afternoon, we introduced the idea of kidSKAN as a community of practice, which is "a group of people who share a concern or passion for something they do, and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly" (www.ewenger.com). We talked about how we are applying these ideas in kidSKAN, and our facilitator, Debra Mayer, discussed how a community of practice she is involved in in Manitoba has bridged divides and led to policy change.

Mark your calendars - our next big event will be Thursday, October 28th in Saskatoon, at the Western Development Museum.

Debra will be preparing a report which will be circulated to attendees and posted here in short order.

Presentations from the day are available here:

The morning: getting to know you

An overview of the Canadian ECD Landscape with Debra Mayer, early childhood consultant in Manitoba

The Saskatchewan overview: looking back, looking forward with Sue Delanoy, special projects coordinator, Child and Youth Friendly Saskatoon, kidSKAN, and Kinsmen Activity Place, Saskatoon

When we know more, we do better: ECD research in Saskatchewan with Fleur Macqueen Smith, Research and Knowledge Transfer Officer, Healthy Children research team, Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU, www.spheru.ca)

Presentation Blasts:

Maternal Mental Health in Saskatchewan with Angela Bowen

Overview of the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute with Noreen Agrey

The Understanding the Early Years project in Northeast Saskatchewan with Brenda Ives

A Discussion Paper on integrating early learning and care with Monica Lysack

Some findings from the Southeast and Moose Jaw-South Central Saskatchewan UEY projects with Ruth Barker and Melody Mitchell [this was not presented due to time constraints]

The afternoon: community building

What is a community of practice? kidSKAN as a community of practice. Touring the kidSKAN web community www.kidskan.ca with Fleur Macqueen Smith, Research and Knowledge Transfer officer, Healthy Children, SPHERU

Using a community of practice to bridge divides: lessons from a Manitoba ECD community with
Debra Mayer, early childhood consultant in Manitoba