Let’s Create Early Childhood Programs that Children and Families Love together.
Work with us and our team of leaders in the field of early learning to spark ideas, and to deepen educators’ and caregivers’ passion, skills, and commitment to their work and to your organization.
Learning. Collaboration. Inspiration.
I know that engaging early learning staff in meaningful professional learning that meets their diverse needs is no simple task!
There is no one-size-fits-all course or training that can transform educators’ practice or programs. Educators and caregivers come to their work with hugely varied educational, experiential, cultural, and social backgrounds.
Financial resources are tight. Early childhood educators and caregivers often feel under-appreciated and under-paid by society. There is often high turn-over of staff when children, families and programs depend on strong relationships. Even professional leaning experiences can seem unattainable simply because there are too few supply staff to allow them the ‘luxury’ of learning together with colleagues.
For organizations too, providing access to professional learning opportunities often means additional costs of hosting a big event, or registration fees, travel, food and accommodation. It all adds up!
And even if staff attend a professional learning event, there is usually little or no follow-through — time to reflect and discuss these ideas with colleagues and consider how these new perspectives could impact their practice in their unique context.
You’re struggling to know how to provide each staff with the unique support they need.
And you know that engaging and nurturing early learning programs for children, and trustworthy, highly regarded programs for families and communities depend on the capacity of all staff to bring skills, knowledge, creativity and passion to their work.
You want early learning staff to grow in their professional practice and as a team through perspective sharing, reflection, and dialogue with one another
And you don’t know how to leap the hurdles of too little time and too few supply staff for early learning educators and care givers to reflect, discuss and implement new ways of being in their programs.
You want to know that the professional learning experiences you offer have value to educators and caregivers
And you don’t want to waste the financial resources you have on superficial trainings or inexperienced facilitators.
GOOD NEWS!
We’ve created a flexible, affordable, and valuable professional learning system that supports early learning educators and caregivers at all entry points of their careers.
This is for you if …
You’re ready to simplify and personalize professional learning for your early learning educators and caregivers.
Our flexible professional learning system offers individuals, program managers and supervisors with in-person, on-line, or hybrid access to e-courses, articles, resources, regular opportunities to discuss ideas they’re working through with colleagues and/or myself, as well as online co-working spaces.
You want inspiring professional learning experiences for your educators and caregivers.
Our e-courses weave the principles found in “How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years” and Ontario’s 2016 “The Kindergarten Program” with the thinking and perspectives shared by leaders in the field of early learning from around the globe. They are designed to engage participants through anecdotes, the voices of children, research, reflection, dialogue, and practical application of ideas.
You want to do more with less.
Our system of professional learning offers group discounts and bulk pricing, making it affordable to support individuals in their practice, while nurturing cohesion and a sense of team within early learning and care programs.
Are you ready for a no obligation discovery call?
This is why I’ve created the
Early Learning Circle
The Early Learning Circle is an annual subscription to eCourses and virtual meeting spaces for early learning educators and caregivers where they can:
- access all eCourses available at earlylearningcafe.com
- co-work, listen and speak, question and discuss, and reflect together — 24/7!
- collaborate and share strategies and resources with early learning leaders and peers
- find renewed energy to go back into their programs with enthusiasm, and a heightened sense of purpose and appreciation for the important work they do
How does it work?
- We provide the courses, resources, articles, and access to co-working space and consultations.
- You tailor the way early learning and caregivers access these resources according to their needs and interests.
- You purchase a fixed number of subscriptions (seats) to make available to eligible educators and caregivers.
- We work with you to roll out the program and onboard subscribers.
- We support you with a system to monitor and report uptake of learner engagement.
The Early Learning Circle features
Features
Free Live Co-Working Café
The Early Learning Café features a unique “co-working” space that we offer with our free subscription.
This space enables members to “virtually” sit in a café with peers and colleagues while they prepare for their early learning programs. Want to chat with someone about an idea? Just pop over to the one-to-one chat table for a private conversation!
Premium Online Conversations
At least 6 times per year, we invite renowned early learning leaders to join us for a 90-minute facilitated conversation about a topic central to our practice. Sessions include inspiring ideas and perspectives, as well as dialogue with one other in virtual table groups. Online Conversations are offered individually for $39 each per person. Our Lungo and Latte plans include all sessions for one year with every subscription.
eCourses
Our current eCourses include the Drawing as Thinking Series, the Democratic Spaces for Early Learning Series, the Environments that Support Risk Taking Series, Story Power, and how to create Learning Stories. eCourses can be purchased individually for $29, and ALL eCourses are included with a Latte subscription plan.
Every eCourse includes a live online wrap-up session which I facilitate for “course graduates”.
Early Learning Resources
Resources include inspirational videos, invitations and provocations, storymaking, book reviews, activity guides, and short, shareable “café chats” (great for starting staff meetings).
Inspirational Articles
Articles that cover a variety of pedagogical and pragmatic issues for early learning, inquiry-based learning, Reggio-Emilia perspectives, and practical program ideas.
Consultations
I am available on an ad hoc basis for consultations. Pop over to “Susan’s Office” and if I am there, drop on in! Or you can use the meeting scheduler to make an appointment. I am here for you!
Here’s how you can bring
the Early Learning Circle to your organization
1
Start by clicking the button to schedule a 30 minute discovery call with me
I am happy to review any questions you might have about Early Learning Café and the Early Learning Circle organization bulk subscription offers. Let’s talk about how our eCourses, Online Conversations, Resources and 24/7 Café Spaces can boost skills, knowledge, morale and connectivity among your educators and caregivers. By the end of this call you will know whether the Early Learning Circle program is a good fit for you.
2
Determine the best package for your organization
Based on the needs of the educators and caregivers in your organization, we will explore with you which aspects of Early Learning Café will be most valuable. Our subscription packages are based on both the features you want included and the number of seats you need. Together we can find the most affordable solution for your organization and create the perfect package for you.
3
Schedule an online orientation session for program leads from each program in your organization
Once you have determined the best subscription package for your organizations, we provide an orientation session for those who will be the leaders and champions of your Early Learning Circle. At the end of the orientation, you and your program leads will feel confident implementing the Early Learning Circle.
4
Finally, we work with you to promote the program throughout your organization. Educators and caregivers experience new learning, inspiration and connection.
We provide promotional assets and emails for you to use to introduce and promote the Early Learning Circle throughout your organization. We offer technical support to onboard all subscribers and I am available to meet with you in my virtual office to ensure a smooth implementation.
Our Team
Susan Ramsay - Founder, Content Creator
I’ve long been inspired by children — their sense of wonder, their ways of seeing the world, and their joy in everyday moments. This inspiration led me to study and work in the field of children’s early learning for close to 30 years. My experience as an early literacy specialist, educator, group facilitator, as well as my ongoing study of the Reggio Emilia Approach informs our work. I champion children’s agency, intelligence, and curiosity within a play-based emergent curriculum.
Joe Ramsay - Onboarding and Technical Support
I am one of those geeks who has been a computer user for 40+ years. Although my primary career was leadership in a large NFP organization, I always kept a hand in emerging technology. I bought my first work computer in 1984 and used it mostly for connecting to other professionals globally. In the 90’s I pioneered an online network for organizations that also provided a distance learning platform for community colleges. All along, I have been Susan’s #1 fan supporting her passionate work nurturing the curiosity, creativity and dignity of children.
What people are saying
I’m delighted by the framework you set out in your Story Power course, Susan. I love your strong statement that “Children are the main characters in the story of their lives.” What a powerful gift you’re offering the community with your thinking and teaching.
Susan is very easy to listen to, watch and learn from. She has a calm confident presence and conveys her expertise with a gentle sharing yet authoritative approach throughout her delivery, lessons, the workbook, and the underlying most valuable intention she has of growing resilience. I will certainly be recommending this to everyone I know in education and with children in their lives, including parents.
I have been an educator for many years. I found this course to be a refreshing confirmation and reminder of best practices when helping children develop and refine leadership skills. It has encouraged me to continue to expand my relationships with children in ways that will encourage them to be resilient problem solvers. Thank you for the opportunity to deepen my knowledge of ways to do so.”
WHat does it cost?
Your annual investment is as little as $39 per staff member per year. In return, you will be providing new strategies, inspiration and collaboration for people who are struggling with isolation and feeling devalued. You will be demonstrating that their work with children is important. And you will be motivating and inspiring those who are already thriving in their work. You will be ensuring that resources are available, and they can easily consult with leaders, colleagues and peers. They will experience well-being and belonging.
Early Learning Circle Pricing
Prices are per seat, per year
Espresso
- Articles
- Resources
- Co-Working Café
- Free Online Conversations
- Premium Online Conversations @ $39
- Online Courses @ $29
FREE!
Call to chat about onboarding your organization or staff team
Lungo
Everything in Espresso plus:
- All Premium Online Conversations
- Recordings of all online conversations
- Videocasts and Podcasts
- Book a virtual meeting room for your own meetings. No cost!
Value: $299
Subscriptions:
- 5-99 Seats: $99/seat
- 100-199 Seats: $79/seat
- 200-299 Seats: $59/seat
- 300+ Seats: $39/seat
Latte
Everything in Lungo plus:
- All Online Courses
- All live online course wrap-up conversations
- Your own customized meeting room with up to 200 seats. Open 24/7
Value $1050
Subscriptions:
- 1-99 Seats: $299/seat
- 100-199 Seats: $199/seat
- 200-299 Seats: $159/seat
- 300+ Seats: $89/seat
Let’s Talk
I’m Susan and I’m passionate about helping early learning educators and caregivers grow their practice in ways that inspire and affirm the importance of their work.
At the beginning of my career as an early learning educator, I was excited about what and how I could teach children. I wanted to fill children up with the knowledge I thought they needed to know. I wanted children to develop the skills I believed they should acquire next. I wanted them to feel excited about engaging in my carefully crafted teaching strategies. But over time, I started to question this empty vessel mentality and my beliefs about what and how to teach. Even young infants, perhaps especially infants, were already absorbing an understanding of their world without any of my creative lesson plans or selectively chosen toys and activities. I started to recognize that children had much to teach me. What then did it really mean to ‘teach’?
Over time, through experience with children in varied settings, through reading, reflection, and dialogue with other educators and leaders in the field of learning, I began to see that teaching begins with listening – listening to the many and varied ways children speak, express curiosity, wonder, puzzlement, and engagement. It is only when I become good at listening and observing that I can be ready to speak, share, and offer children meaningful possibilities for learning.
This shift in my perspective and approach makes an incredible difference in children’s sense of agency, resilience, belonging, and joy. My journey as an educator and caregiver of young children will never end. And I long for others to similarly feel enriched with a deepened sense of fulfilment and joy in the important work they do with young children, their families, and the communities in which they live.
If you feel that the Early Learning Circle would help your educators and caregivers, then click the button and schedule a chat with me. I would love to work with your organization and support the important work you do.
