Books, Baskets and Beyond
ELCC's new workshop series is coming soon!
The ELCC team is excited to introduce this year’s professional learning workshop series, titled Books, Baskets & Beyond.
As in previous years, this 10-part workshop series being offered, in partnership with the Whitehorse Public Library, to early childhood educators currently working in licensed early learning and child care programs across the Yukon. It will consist of monthly evening workshops, running from September 2026 to June 2027.
This year, we are taking a slightly new approach to structure of the workshops. In response to feedback from educators, each topic in the Books, Baskets & Beyond series will be explored over two workshops that center around a particular children's book or story.
The first session in each set of workshops will focus on creating practical resources and materials that educators can take back to their programs. The second session will build on that same story by exploring programming ideas, setting up learning environments, games, invitations to play, family engagement opportunities, and hands-on approaches for extending children's interests and learning.
Each workshop is designed to be standalone, meaning educators can attend one session, both sessions, or any combination of workshops throughout the year. Whether you work with infants, toddlers, preschoolers or school aged children, each session will include ideas and adaptations to support children across age groups.
The first book we are going to explore in this series is Stone Soup:
Part One: Read it. Make it. Play it - Stone Soup
Tuesday September 29, 2026
6:00 to 7:30 pm
Whitehorse Public Library
Create a hands-on story basket and explore how storytelling, repetition, and shared experiences can support children's literacy, imagination, and engagement.
- Create a Stone Soup story basket to take back to your program
- Explore storytelling, retelling, and imaginative play
- Discuss literacy, language, and social-emotional learning connections
Part Two: From Pages to Possibilities - Stone Soup
Tuesday October 27, 2026
6:00 to 7:30 pm
Whitehorse Public Library
Explore how Stone Soup can spark rich learning opportunities throughout your program. Through games, group activities, and educator discussion, you'll discover creative ways to extend the story through play, inquiry, family engagement, and everyday experiences.
- Interactive games and hands-on learning activities
- Ideas for dramatic play, block play, outdoor exploration, sensory experiences, and more
- Opportunities to exchange ideas and learn from fellow educators
- Strategies for incorporating family participation and children's interests into programming
- Collaborative planning and practical take-away ideas
Registration and more dates in the Books, Baskets & Beyond series will be available soon.
We look forward to learning alongside you this year and hope you'll join us for Books, Baskets & Beyond!
For more information, contact [email protected].