1. All Children Thrive!

2. Relationships First… Asset-Building in Halton A culture of human connections – getting to know one another
Stand Up Sit Down Activity

3. The Halton 7 Children are Healthy Children are Learning
Children are Positively Connected
Children are Safe
Families are Strong & Stable
Neighbourhoods are where we Live, Work & Play
Schools are Connected to the Community

5. Workshop Key Messages
1. Relationships are essential for healthy development. 2. We use strength-based approaches to build assets with kids and families. 3. As professionals we work together to help kids thrive. 4. Anyone can be an asset-builder. 5. There are resources and tools to support you.

7. Reflection
“I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.” Haim G. Ginott
This quote does not only apply to teachers but all adults working with children and youth

8. Hopes and dreams for our children?
Being versus Doing Gingerbread activity

9. How does how we view children impact how we build relationships?

10. Shifting Our View of Children
From To
Vessels to be filled
Curriculum-based
Outcomes focused
Must be given strategies
Unknowing
Passive consumer
Professional duty to develop
Rich in potential
Relationship-driven
Child centred/directed
Capable of complex thinking
Competent
Valuable co-contributor
Deserves opportunity to succeed

11. How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years, 2014
View of the Child
How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years, 2014
“All children are competent, capable of complex thinking, curious, and rich in potential and experience. They grow up in families with diverse social, cultural, and linguistic perspectives.
Every child should feel that he or she belongs, is a valuable contributor to his or her surroundings, and deserves the opportunity to succeed.
When we recognize children as competent, capable, and curious, we are more likely to deliver programs that value and build on their strengths and abilities.”

12. Ten Minute Break
“Every child deserves to have someone’s eyes light up when they enter the room”
How Does Learning Happen, 2014

13. Developmental Relationships
Express Care
Challenge Growth
Provide Support
Share Power
Expand Possibilities

14. Making the Case for Relationships
Relationships First: Creating Connections that Help Young People Thrive – Search Institute 2017

15. Making the Case for Relationships
Relationships First: Creating Connections that Help Young People Thrive – Search Institute 2017

16. Making the Case for Relationships
Relationships First: Creating Connections that Help Young People Thrive – Search Institute 2017

17. Making the Case for Relationships
Relationships First: Creating Connections that Help Young People Thrive – Search Institute 2017

18. “Relationships help us sink or swim”
Gr 6 and 7 students from Eastview Public School developed this animated video to illustrate how important relationships are to them. They were grateful for the adult allies that helped their ideas and words come to help.

19. How are relationships built?
Express Care
Challenge Growth
Provide Support
Share Power
Expand Possibilities
15 minutes

20. Points to remember from Search
Youth with strong relationships are more resilient in the face of stress and trauma
Young People are least likely to experience sharing power and expanding possibilities
Sharing power is the area most strongly associated with multiple positive outcomes
Relationships are associated with multiple character strengths

21. What does an organization with adult allies look, sound and feel like?0%
100%
100% 0%

22. Does Your Organization Prioritize Relationships?
insert the segment from 2:00 to 4:49 from the 6 Ways to Know if Your Program Prioritizes Relationships video from Search Institute on YouTube -

23. 6 Ways to Know if Your Program Prioritizes Relationships
Time – Is there dedicated time for building relationships with and among youth? Staff – Are relationships part of the evaluation process? Budget – Are financial resources dedicated to prioritizing relationships? Training or Professional Development – Are relationships and ongoing focus of professional development? Data – Do you have data on how kids experience relationships in your organization? Definition – Have you defined the types of relationships you want to build with kids in your organization?
Animate appearance of headings and questions

24. Cell phones out

25. Workshop Key Messages
1. Relationships are essential for healthy development. 2. We use strength-based approaches to build assets with kids and families. 3. As professionals we work together to help kids thrive. 4. Anyone can be an asset-builder. 5. There are resources and tools to support you.

26. Activity

30. Your thoughts and reflections on this training are important to us.
For evaluation, can use verbal feedback, evaluation form, anything you are comfortable with as a facilitator.

31. All Children Thrive! www.ourkidsnetwork.ca Mary Tabak
Asset-Building Project Manager Our Kids Network

32. In Closing
“…this is a miraculous thing, this childhood and what kids are capable of doing.” Dr. Jean Clinton, Associate Clinical Professor, Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University
Taken from ‘Brain Development: Impact on our view of the child’ video from the Ontario Ministry of Education – Childcare and the Early Years