The Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play Collaborative (CHEO Research Institute, Algonquin College, Andrew Fleck Children’s Services, Outdoor Play Canada) is seeking outdoor early childhood education (ECE) leaders to join the newly formed National Panel on Licensing of Outdoor Early Childhood Education (“The National Panel”).

This National Panel will advance efforts towards changing ECE licensing regulations across provinces in Canada. The ultimate goal is to achieve – in part through policy, system, and sector advocacy by the National Panel – a commitment by provincial governments to support equitable access to outdoor ECE for all children living in Canada by making these programs eligible for fee subsidy through local municipalities. These efforts will in turn lead to the normalization of outdoor play and learning at a societal level. The National Panel will serve to identify what is being done in the outdoor ECE sector and leverage those efforts in addressing ongoing and new licensing issues and constraints across provinces. There is already work being done in Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and British Columbia to advance this cause and there are many across other provinces interested in starting this journey. The National Panel aims to bring together these interested parties to celebrate successes, use progress and achievements to leverage change, and work through barriers in licensing together.

The National Panel is part of a 5-year initiative to launch the Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play that aims to bring together outdoor ECE practice, research, and policy to mainstream outdoor play and learning for the early years. Learn more about the Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play here.

We are looking for individuals to join the National Panel who are:
• Familiar with licensing issues related to outdoor ECE
• Involved in outdoor ECE initiatives in Canada or abroad (i.e., as an outdoor play practitioner, RECE, researcher, policy maker, urban planner, advocate, or other)
• Eager to contribute to the conversation and provide leadership on licensing of outdoor ECE

We are asking our panel members to:
• Attend one in-person meeting per year
• Participate in semi-annual meetings as needed
• Support our collective efforts to advance licensing of outdoor ECE

Members of the National Panel will be provided a yearly honorarium of $1000 to support travel to the in-person meeting and to recognize the time and effort they have dedicated to being part of this panel.

To express your interest in joining the panel, please email the following to info@outdoorplaycanada.ca:
• A statement of interest (no more than 500 words)
• A current CV or resume (no formatting required)

Applications will close on Friday, May 5th at 5pm (ET). Please consider circulating this call within your networks!