Alberta Resource Centre for Quality Enhancement

06/11/2026

Level Three Early Childhood Educators in Alberta now have access to professional development and release time funding through the 2026/27 Early Childhood Educator Workforce Supports Program Approved List of Workshops and Conferences.

Through ARCQE, eligible learning opportunities such as Meeting The Challenge, Reaching IN…Reaching OUTᴼᴹ (RIRO) Resiliency Skills, and Reflective Program Planning can be accessed using this funding to support intentional, reflective, and practice-based professional growth.

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Did you know… Level Three Early Childhood Educators in Alberta can now access PD and release time funding through the 2026/27 Workforce Supports Program Approved List?

What can my funding be used for?
The Alberta Resource Centre for Quality Enhancement (ARCQE) has several eligible learning opportunities you can use your funding toward, including:
Meeting The Challenge
Reaching IN…Reaching OUTᴼᴹ (RIRO) Resiliency Skills
Reflective Program Planning

Why does this matter?

Send us a message or email us at [email protected] to find out more.

https://events.arcqe.ca/professional-learning-events/

06/10/2026

This 6-part series explores strategies and skills that foster resilience in both educators and the children they support, supporting child development while promoting understanding and meaningful relationships.

Now listed on the 2026/27 Early Childhood Educator Workforce Supports Program Approved List of Workshops and Conferences for Professional Development and Release Time Funding for Alberta approved Level 3 ECEs.
https://thealbertaresourcecentreforqualityenhancementarcqe.growthzoneapp.com/ap/Events/Register/wZFB1omueCxCw

06/09/2026

June is Our Month of Play

Because Play is a Right, Not a Privilege
At ARCQE, we believe one day is never enough.
The International Day of Play is observed each year on June 11th, established in March 2024 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to champion and protect children’s right to play.
But we're not stopping at one day. All of June is our Month of Play.

Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states:
“States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to their age and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts…”

From One Day to a Movement
The International Day of Play calls on governments, civil society, and institutions to take action, with UNICEF and UNESCO supporting its global implementation.
Play is essential. It helps children build relationships, resilience, and the cognitive, physical, creative, social, and emotional skills they need to thrive.
Play is how children learn to live, connect, and understand the world around them.

Join Us: Celebrating Play, Honouring Rights

We are excited to welcome Heather Bernt-Santy, M.A. Ed. (That Early Childhood Nerd) for a special one-time event this June.
With over 30 years of experience, Heather is a strong advocate for children’s right to play and for the research that confirms what we know—play is not extra, it is essential.
Together, we will reflect on what it means to be play advocates in early learning spaces that honour children’s agency, identity, belonging, and curiosity.
Drawing on Schema Play Theory, this session calls us back to what matters most: children’s right to wonder deeply and play freely.
As we build toward National Child Day, this is a moment to act—not just for one day, but all year long.

Register Today

These one-time sessions are expected to fill quickly:
June 25 | 12:00–2:00 p.m.
https://thealbertaresourcecentreforqualityenhancementarcqe.growthzoneapp.com/ap/Events/Register/DgFE6zEc1CQCW
June 25 | 6:30–8:30 p.m.
https://thealbertaresourcecentreforqualityenhancementarcqe.growthzoneapp.com/ap/Events/Register/MwFy1JGi8CeCg

Our Mission: Creatively inspire professionals to build leadership and capacity by enhancing quality in programs that support children and families.

06/09/2026

Join ARCQE inspiring leadership in early learning as a member of the Board!

Are you someone passionate about making a difference in advancing leadership directions and early learning priorities in Alberta?

If you are someone with rich in-depth experience in child care related matters and currently bring representation from the sector in areas such as post-secondary studies, administration, pedagogical leadership, research and best practice; perhaps you may be a strong candidate to join the ARCQE Governance Board.

Now actively seeking candidates for the 2026-2028 term starting in June 2026. Current regional jurisdictions preferred include: southern Alberta, Calgary, Northwest regions- bringing representation from one of the above specified areas of the child care sector!

To learn more, please click on the following "Opportunities" link:
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06/09/2026

Celebrating Play, Honouring Rights- All year long!
As we at ARCQE continue to engage and support educators in advancing children's rights throughout the year, we are pleased to recognize the International Day of Play, celebrated globally each June. This important occasion highlights play as a fundamental right of every child and as an essential foundation for thinking, learning, well-being, and development. In alignment with our ongoing focus on relationships, wonder, and belonging, we invite Early Childhood Educators to join us in reflecting on and strengthening their practice as we build momentum toward National Child Day.
Together, as a community of learners and advocates, we invite all of you to join with us in welcoming Heather Bernt-Santy, M.A. Ed., also known as That Early Childhood Nerd. With over 30 years of experience working alongside children, families, and caregivers, Heather brings a deep and joyful commitment to the field she has “very-nearly-almost” loved every minute of. She is a passionate believer in children’s right to play and in the science that affirms what we know in our bones: "play is a right." Through her consulting, webinars, and podcast That Early Childhood Nerd, Heather continues to inspire educators to think deeply and differently about childhood.
Together, we will reflect on what it means to act as play advocates in today’s early learning landscape—holding space for children’s joy, agency, well-being, identity, and belonging, while reimagining environments where curiosity, inquiry, and co-learning are genuinely honoured.
Drawing inspiration from Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood, this gathering calls us back to what matters most: children’s right to live fully, wonder deeply, and play freely.
Two options to choose from:
June 25 - 12:00 - 2:00
June 25 - 6:30 - 8:30
Investment: $30.00
https://events.arcqe.ca/professional-learning-events/

06/08/2026

Are you a reflective Educator? How does reflective practice inform your planning?
"The goal is to help educators see each and every child as a mighty learner and a citizen in the here and now" (Makovichuk et al., 2014).
Designed for early learning and childcare leaders, this series explores observation, pedagogical documentation, and intentional program planning, all grounded in Flight & Reggio Emilia principles.
Across three weeks, participants will: → Observe children with curiosity, honouring their voices → Make thinking visible through meaningful documentation → Deepen inquiry through reflective practice and environmental design.
https://thealbertaresourcecentreforqualityenhancementarcqe.growthzoneapp.com/a #/Event/1757216/EventsOverview

06/06/2026

Work hard- play hard… Happy Birthday to team mate Rebecca celebrating in style with the cast and crew from ARCQE while on the road!!

06/05/2026

Capturing children’s voices…
What big ideas resonate and how do they come together in practice…
Supporting exploration of possibilities through implementation of Floor Books as a tool for co-learning in action alongside of children!

06/05/2026

Many pathways and moments of learning are unfolding throughout the day. How are these moments captured and revisited? How does reflection in action support richer further learning on action taken?

06/05/2026

Exploring the role and the work at the heart of Pedagogical Partner Support…
Taking time for peer sharing and learning- How does the work supporting implementation of Flight unfold in programs across the province?