Robina Scott Kindergarten educators drive opportunities for connection

Laura Pearce and Alexandra Pallikaros from Robina Scott Kindergarten, in the Victorian community of Williamstown recently applied for funding to facilitate a celebration of early childhood leadership. 

The duo have been holding regular ‘catch up’ events with other early childhood educators from across Hobsons Bay for approximately two years, however due to heavy workloads, attracting leaders to these events was proving challenging.

To alleviate this challenge, the pair applied to the Westgate Neighbourhood Fund for a grant to hold an early childhood leadership celebration day, which was a highly successful event, attended by nearly 50 representatives from council to early childhood services to local government.

Held at the Williamstown Bowls Club late in October, the event was “a complete success,” Ms Pallikaros shared with local news source Star Weekly.

With morning tea and lunch provided, attendees were given six different presentations on the day including talks from preschool field officers Angela Browne and Joanna Cooper, and a keynote address titled “Taking care of you to take care of others” from early childhood consultant, Sarah Louise Gandolfo.

For Ms Pearce the most valuable part of the day was being able to connect with so many peers. 

”It was all about networking and meeting with other leaders I haven’t met before and sharing in our successes and also things that we find difficult,” she said.

Inspired by the success of the event, the pair are seeking further avenues to continue connecting leaders from a variety of sectors with the vital work done in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. 

Read the original coverage of this story here.