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The Peer Mentorship program is ongoing professional learning through a community of practice model and peer to peer relationships. There are 5 main components.

1. A Community of Practice (CoP): is formed with up to 12 Early Childhood Educators. Each month, the CoP comes together (online or in person).
2. Ongoing communication: Each CoP chooses a method of communication for sharing updates, questions, ideas, and inspiration in between CoP meetings.
3. Peer Mentor Pairings are encouraged to connect weekly/consistently, in a way that suits them.
4. Reflective Practice: Peer mentors are invited to regularly reflect and submit reflections.
5. Local facilitation support helps to co-construct with peer mentors a supportive and caring space where relationships and educational aspirations can flourish.

A community of practice, in this context, is a group of Early Childhood Educators or professionals, who come together regularly to learn from each other, share ideas, support one another, and grow together.

The non-hierarchical structure, values, and ethos of the program leads to increased educator self-efficacy (confidence) and growth in professional identity, which helps to sustain practice and avoid burnout

As this diagram shows, Early Childhood Educators tell us that confidentiality, relational practices, a non-hierarchical model, and multiple ways to participate are key in the success of building a Community of Practice.

We would love to have you join a Peer Mentoring Community of Practice (CoP)! Visit the “FIND” page to see the locations of our current Peer Mentoring CoP sites. Send us an email peermentoring@ecebc.ca to see if there are any spaces available.

The program is open to ECEs, ECEAs, and ECE students in BC.

Our Peer Mentoring Community of Practice groups are intentionally limited to a maximum of twelve participants, allowing for deeper conversations, stronger connections, and more inclusive participation where every voice is heard and valued.

Each individual community of practice follows the lead of the educators and the topics and interests emerging from the group.  ECEs support one another by exchanging teaching philosophies, emerging practices, and lived experiences.

Peer mentors are encouraged to choose a meeting space that best supports conversations and connection. This could be a cafe, a library, a community center, a park, or trail, or even a virtual space, whatever works best for the pair!

People self-identify from within their communities to step into the role of Peer Mentoring facilitator or co-facilitator. Facilitators are connected to the ECE sector and are centered around uplifting educator, child, families, and community. We are grateful for the facilitators!

• Increase the retention of Early Childhood Educators across the province.

• Enhance confidence in ECEs by fostering a supportive and collaborative environment that encourages growth and development.

• Increase the ability of early learning professionals to provide inclusive and culturally relevant early learning and child care.

• Improve the quality of child care programs and professional’s practices, leading to better outcomes for children and families.

• Improve early childhood professionals’ understanding of the play-learn connection and their knowledge of reflective practice and best practices in the child care sector.