In February, 2006 the inaugural class of Council Fellows? gathered in Toronto for their first networking and planning retreat. These community leaders were chosen for their community involvement with existing ECD initiatives, their ability to build effective cross-sectoral teams, and their commitment to develop and sustain their community?s leadership capacity. The goals of the progam are to:

• Leverage existing expertise and knowledge within communities and provinces through cross-fertilization and networking;
• Increase leadership and technical skills necessary for community-based and cross-systems work on early child development; and
• Help build the community?s long-term capacity to improve early child development outcomes by enabling community leaders to forge the development of integrated early child development and parenting centres
  

The Council?s Fellows will be provided with the following supports and resources:

• Strategic retreats
• A peer support system
• Quarterly teleconferences
• Knowledge brokering
• An on-line, multimedia curriculum resource
  

This first group of Fellows were chosen because of their community involvement with existing early child development and parenting initiatives; ability to build effective cross-sectoral teams; and commitment to develop and sustain their community?s leadership capacity.

The Council?s 10 Community Fellows are taking part in a community leadership program that is designed to work within the parameters of their existing roles and commitments. Each community leader is designing their own goals, objectives and evaluation outcomes in collaboration with their community team of collaborators and experts. Council Fellows have access to internationally recognized experts, lateral learning and networking opportunities with their peers across Canada, and state-of-the-art training in intersectoral collaboration on early child development.

Anne Biscaro
Director
Population Health Division
Niagara Region Public Health Department
(Ontario)

Jean Clinton
Child Psychiatrist
(Ontario)

Wendy Church
Program and Policy Consultant
Healthy Child Manitoba Office
(Manitoba)

Michelle Craig
Regional Manager
School and Preschool Services
Community Health Services
Capital Health, Edmonton and Area
(Alberta)

Elena DiBattista
Program Director
Success By 6 Peel
(Ontario)

Carol Gott
Co-manager
Rural Voices
(Ontario)

Janet Mort
Doctoral Candidate, University of Victoria
School Communications, Human Early Learning Partnership
(British Columbia)

Sheila Murdock
Fisher River Cree Nation
(Manitoba)

Jim Mustard
Coordinator
Roots of Empathy
(Nova Scotia)

Linda Nosbush
Saskatchewan Rivers School District, Prince Albert
(Saskatchewan)

Joanne Schroeder
Provincial Advisor
Ministry of Children and Family Development
Children First Initiative Early Childhood Development
(British Columbia)

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