At Stepping Stone (SA), we are proud of our long-standing tradition of supporting our educators’ professional growth by sponsoring their attendance at the Early Childhood Australia (ECA) National Conference. In 2024, 18 of our educators had the opportunity to attend the ECA Conference in Brisbane, an event that proved to be a valuable experience for professional inquiry, reflection, and networking among industry professionals and academics.
The 2024 ECA Conference in Brisbane was a source of inspiration for our educators, who participated in a diverse array of presentations covering crucial topics in early childhood education. Key topics of ongoing importance to our attendees following the conference, include:
- risky play and how our beliefs, practices, policies and environments support adventurous play exploration,
- an exploration of The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals within curriculum and practice,
supporting ongoing research and application of the EYLF Sustainability Principle, - consideration of our relationship with the clock, as we examine how children’s play and sense of Belonging,
Being and Becoming is nurtured within slow pedagogies, - the AERO Learning Trajectories and learning dispositions for supporting assessment and planning cycles,
- the importance of children and educator play, with a focus on different styles of play,
- escalation and de-escalation stages during challenging behaviours, reflecting on regulation and support
strategies, - child protection and prevention, child safe environments and child wellbeing,
- a Decolonising Pedagogy, reflecting on how our environments, infrastructure and practices create a
welcoming space and sense of belonging for all cultures and communities.
These sessions sparked thoughtful and critical discussions, research initiatives, and actions across our learning communities, empowering our educators to reflect, advocate, and grow in their practice.
At Stepping Stone (SA), we remain committed to fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement, knowing that investing in our educators’ growth ultimately benefits the children and families we serve.
