Affinity Education Group offers chances to connect through communities of practice

More than 100  Communities of Practice events are currently underway for Affinity Education Group, with National Education Manager Jola Sung sharing the importance of these communities for holistic professional development. 

 

“It’s about giving our people the opportunity to connect and plan a holistic approach and shared vision for the type of early education we will deliver to the children enrolling in early education as babies, toddlers and preschoolers over the next five years,” Ms Sung said. 

 

Affinity’s educators, teachers and Senior Educational Leaders are able to access four dedicated paid professional development sessions, focused on three key age groups and a final session focused on the role of Educational Leaders in driving quality early education in 2024 through the Communities of Practice series, which has received positive feedback thus far. 

 

With a shared common provocation of How Data Informs Programming and Practice, Affinity’s Senior Educational Leaders have already facilitated sessions with attendances ranging between 10 – 40 employees in Canberra and Western Australia. 

 

In future sessions the Communities of Practice groups will explore AEDC and data on First Nations and vulnerable children, and how these two datasets can inform programming and practice, taking insights back to Affinity centres and sharing more broadly in online community forums.  

 

“We find that face to face is the preferred Communities of Practice format, but we are facilitating zoom sessions where our centres are more regionally located around Australia so everyone has the chance to participate,” Ms Sung said. 

 

Affinity’s Lifelong Learning Curriculum is a key element of the 2024 Communities of Practices, with a spotlight on the Early Years Toolbox program Affinity is running in collaboration with the University of Wollongong as part of its School Readiness program.  

 

“These opportunities to connect and reflect are so important and empowering for our people,” Ms Sung said. 

 

Learn more about Affinity Education Group here.