A YEAR IN REVIEW:
As the 2025 season comes to an end, our hearts are full reflecting on the connections, conversations, and collective learning that shaped this year. Our team hosted a record number of different opportunities and continued our mission to lead inspired learning within the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector. Through every gathering and shared experience, we’ve been reminded of the profound impact that passionate educators have on children, families, and one another. We feel so lucky to learn and grow with you all!
Our Growth Over the Year
Not only has the Strive team grown in size, we have grown so much professionally over the course of 2025. Along with welcoming several new team members and interns, we relaunched Leading Inspired Learning: A Strive Podcast, released some new and improved ways to engage in multimodal learning, and even rebranded Strive’s Professional Resource Centre (PRC) (formerly the ECE Professional Resource Centre).
Some of our 2025 highlights include:
New (and returning) faces on the Strive team!
The new year kicked off with some exciting team updates, including the return of Strive Manager Ally Scott! After parental leave, Ally rejoined us in early February, bringing back her signature drive and sunny energy. We welcomed three new team members across our small teams. Victoria Allen (now Leonard!) joined the Professional Learning team as a Professional Learning and Statistics Specialist, Lena Haider became our new Resource Centre Specialist with the PRC team, and Nyiel Nhial completed our Community Animator duo. We were also so thrilled to welcome Fanshawe Early Childhood Leadership students Avery Lomax and Jazmine George for the summer! We are so grateful for the energy, ideas and enthusiasm they have all brought to our work.
We planned our largest and most complex System Wide yet!
Thank you to every single volunteer, facilitator, sponsor, partner, and participant who joined us for The Heart of Understanding System-Wide Professional Learning Day! This year, we welcomed professionals not only from London and Middlesex, but from Elgin, Oxford, and Sarnia/Lambton as well. We offered more afternoon breakout options than ever, including virtual viewing spaces, in-person sessions, and French options, to help ensure there was something for everyone. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to all who engaged so thoughtfully throughout the day. You truly made it meaningful!
Our new and improved Strive Online platform
Strive Online is your one-stop shop for online learning and resources for London, Middlesex, Elgin, and Oxford ECE Professionals. This new platform makes it even easier to browse professional learning session recordings, pre-recorded webinars, printable resources, and so much more! We wanted to create a space for professionals to easily access materials to complete their CPL goals, so we hope this helps do just that!
New branding and name for Strive’s Professional Resource Centre (PRC)
This year, we gave our PRC a little refresh, including a simplified name and a new logo. As our work continues to support a wide range of professionals across the community, not just ECEs, we wanted the PRC to better reflect everyone who accesses and benefits from our services. This update helps us more clearly represent the diverse community we are so proud to support!
The growth on our Community Animator team
This year has been full of momentum and meaningful connections. One of our biggest milestones was launching our Pilot Project, offering individualized support to leaders and educators directly within their childcare centres. It has been an exciting step in deepening our ability to support programs in ways that reflect their unique needs.
We’ve also been busy out in the community supporting, listening, and engaging. Visiting centres continues to be one of our favourite parts of this work. Every conversation, classroom tour, and shared reflection strengthens our relationships and helps us better understand how to show up for the sector.
The Numbers
This year, we have been a busy community! Via Strive, there have been:
105 professional learning opportunities
173 professional learning hours offered
1871 professionals who participated in professional learning opportunities
35 episodes of the Leading Inspired Learning podcast
470 active members of Strive’s Professional Resource Centre
With 223 New Members!
And over 70 new resources added to incorporate into your practice
And these numbers do not even include The Heart of Understanding, London-Middlesex’s System-Wide Professional Learning Day, which over 2000 educators from our region registered to attend!
Our Team’s Favourite Moments From This Year:
Liz: This year, I really enjoyed welcoming so many new members into the Resource Centre and seeing so many people engage with what we offer. I loved interacting with ECE students from Fanshawe and sharing both our professional learning opportunities and the resources available. Makers Nights were another highlight, giving me the chance to connect with educators and get creative together in the Makers Space. I also enjoyed sharing the Loose Parts Art PL and showing educators how open-ended materials can be transformed into beautiful, transient works of art.
Strive Team after System-Wide
Lena: The highlight of this year for me has to be the way our team came together for System Wide Day! Watching the team filled with so much passion and eager to help each other in any way possible was so admirable and I felt honored to be a part of it. When the day came we were all running on adrenaline and by the end of it I thought I would be relieved it was over but instead I felt sad to see it end. I truly felt my love for this field grow tenfold watching everyone come together in shared spaces to learn and collaborate with one another. The great part is that we hopefully will get to do it all again next year!
Kayla B: This year, what stands out to me the most is the strength in the relationships and visions we have as a team. After many transitions in the team, 2025 offered us chances to connect, moments of levity, and a chance to lean into discomfort together. Similar to Lena, I want to mention that being a part of and witnessing our team pull together arguably the most logistics heavy event we have ever done was amazing. Afterwards, we had a gathering to celebrate the facilitators and thank everyone who supported delivery of the day and it was an emotional experience. I love the relationships that we were able to nurture with local companies and our facilitators this year, and while it felt like we might not make it for a while with all we had to do- we did it and I am so proud of us.
When I think of my favourite professional learning opportunity from this year, it is so hard to choose. Our team put so much love and care into the opportunities chosen that it feels unfair to choose a single one. From Brave Space to outdoor play, play nights at the museum, pedagogical learning, How Does Learning Happen?, and everything in between… I feel like there was such great diversity this year! That said, I had the opportunity to attend Book Study: Cultivating Professional Friendships as a participant this year and I have been really enjoying how it challenges me and forces me to look inward and “come to the edge” as we discuss in our gatherings. So often I am facilitating or speaking at our events, it is rare that I get to slow down and connect. I found that experience very fulfilling. I am so thankful for the connection with this small but mighty group of professionals over the last 6 months and have come out of it with some professional friends that I did not have before. Shout out to Kayla Paquette and Val Bytyqi for challenging us all along the way!
Alicia: Choosing one singular moment from this year is something I simply can not do. Knowing that each moment was my last as a member of the Strive team, really had me pause and reflect after every professional learning session, meeting, discovery call, or even every time we would film our silly little reels. Seeing the strength and growth of our team over this year has been nothing short of amazing. We have come together, challenged each other, and have faced everything thrown our way with such poise. I couldn’t be more grateful to be a part of this team for the last 16 months. I have looked forward to coming to work every single day, which I feel incredibly lucky to be able to say! So, long, sappy story short, every single moment I got to be with my team was my favourite. I can’t wait to see what the team accomplishes in 2026, I will always be cheering them on, no matter where in the world I am. xoxo<3
Be Well: Flower Arrnaging (Elgin)
Amy: Some of my favourite moments from this year were hosting “Strive Tours” either by going out to centres, or by welcoming them into the Strive Classroom and Resource Centre. Hosting these tours allowed me to get to know educators at multiple different centres, share about our work and how we can support them, and provide a fun professional learning experience. Talking to everyone about what we do at Strive constantly reminded me why I love this role so much; being part of someone’s growth, continuously growing myself, and finding ways to bring joy to people’s professional lives.
Victoria: What came to mind when I was asked this question was very simple: joining the Strive team! Becoming a part of this incredible team of amazing people has been one of the most exciting, happy changes I’ve ever made. There was a lot of information to take in when it comes to being a part of the Professional Learning team, but to have been given the time and support to learn from the rest of the team, before trying it out on my own from start to finish for the Elgin Be Well: Flower Arranging event was so rewarding! Even though I unfortunately couldn’t be at the event (I was getting married!) I heard such great feedback and the photos looked incredible!
I can’t wait to see what next year brings!
Get Comfortable Having Uncomfortable Conversations
KP: One of my favourite memories from this year actually comes from a recent Professional Learning session: Getting Comfortable with Uncomfortable Conversations. This PL was incredibly engaging, and it was inspiring to see so many leaders come together with openness and curiosity. The conversations were rich, thoughtful, and pushed all of us…myself included to reflect more deeply. I walked away feeling challenged in the best way, and grateful for how this session supported my own ongoing learning and practice!
Nyiel: When I reflect on the question of my favourite moments from this year, two stand out immediately.
The first is joining this team and getting to witness first hand the dedication and heart that goes into supporting this profession. Stepping into a space where I feel seen and supported by a group of powerhouse women who are so driven and passionate about the work they do has inspired me more than I can fully express. Becoming part of this team has not only pushed me to grow, but has reminded me of the impact that shared purpose and true collaboration can have.
Community of Practice: Cooks & Dietary Planners special PL at Growing Chefs
The second would have to be, hands down, being part of the conversations during the COPs. Sitting in with the different communities of early year professionals, and hearing their voices, perspectives, and lived experiences come together in one space, eager to learn from one another was incredibly powerful.
These moments have stayed with me, and they’ve shaped not only my year, but also the way I want to show up for 2026.
Andera: I don’t think I could name a single part of this year that was my absolute favourite. I get to see so much working behind the scenes on our print materials, website, and social media, but also out in the community capturing photos and attending professional learning. I love getting to learn from every event I attend and meet with educators in our community, whether having a chat during professional learning or through social media. I think the best part is getting to see and share the incredible work the team does: supporting the Professional Learning Team in promoting the events they put so much effort into planning from start to finish and documenting those events; the detail the Resource Centre team puts into curating kits and materials for families and educators; the care the Community Animators put into each conversation they have with their Pilot Project centres and resources they create to make mentorship more accessible; the way the team has been so willing to work together on our Big Idea Projects (I’m talking about our merch and moving to video podcasts BTW); and, even putting up with my silly social media ideas… I love getting to be part of it and share all that incredible work with our community!
Educator Play Night at the London Children’s Museum
Ally: Coming back from mat leave in February and stepping right into the arms of this absolutely incredible team has been a dream. I say it all the time, but it never stops being true: the best part of my job is the people. The laughter, the joy, the passion, the constant yapping (you know who you are) fills my cup every single day.
This year, Strive delivered so much that I’m genuinely proud of. Bringing the podcast back to life and getting behind the mic again has been a huge highlight. And let’s be honest, creating silly, goofy social media content together has become its own kind of team-building. Lifting the veil and letting our community see our fun side? 10/10, would recommend.
When it comes to PL, my favourite moment has to be our Play Night at the London Children’s Museum. Welcoming so many educators into a space purely to play was a beautiful reminder of what really matters in our work. Another standout was the Dr. Shelley Moore sessions we supported AKB in offering. That first inclusion session hit me especially hard. It is the kind of learning I hope every educator has the chance to experience.
Here’s to a year filled with growth, joy, and lots of laugh-crying in the office. And here’s to 2026. Let’s make it even better.
THANK YOU!
We want to thank you for continuing to join us in Leading Inspired Learning in our sector. Through every epic win and unforeseen challenge, the one constant in our work has been YOU - all the professionals in the early childhood education and care community. Thank you for showing up, thank you for giving feedback, thank you for engaging on social media, thank you for accessing our resource centre, and thank you for everything in between! We wouldn’t be here without you!
Wishing you all a happy and healthy holiday season. See you in 2026!
