The Indigenous Professional Learning Opportunities Program with FIREFLY (IPLO) is a dedicated group of early years professionals who support educators in child care and child and family programs, on reserve throughout Ontario with professional learning. We are proud to offer professional learning opportunities that center Indigenous knowledge, values, and ways of being and support the delivery of early years services in alignment with How Does Early Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years. This program is funded and supported by the Government of Canada and Government of Ontario.
The IPLO program creates and provides linkages to professional learning opportunities and develops resources that are designed to support educators and service providers in delivering culturally responsive early years programming that honours the diverse identities and traditions of Indigenous children, families, and communities. We collaborate with on-reserve and urban community partners and professional learning organizations to deliver opportunities virtually and in-person. Professional working relationships are developed and maintained through a combination of communication and respect.
This website offers significant benefits for early learning educators and leaders working in child care and child and family programs on reserve in Ontario. The content reflects Indigenous ways of knowing and being, honoring relationships, reciprocity, and the interconnectedness of all living things. The opportunities invite reflection, storytelling, and learning rooted in land, language, and community. This site is a central hub for professional learning, resource sharing, collaboration and communication that bring forward, How Does Learning Happen, Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years with an Indigenous perspective.
The IPLO Coordinators facilitate the First Nation Early Learning Website and provide weekly updates to subscribers.
RECE, ECEC
Aaniin, Hello Michelle Taylor-Leonhardi, Anishinaabekwe of the White Otter Clan from Curve Lake First Nation. Currently an Indigenous Professional Learning Opportunities Coordinator with FIREFLY. A Registered Native Early Childhood Educator, one of the first graduates of the Binoojiingyag Kinoomaadwin Program at Cambrian College. Michelle’s 31 years of experience began as a Front-Line Worker at Oshkiigmong Early Learning Centre and then Supervisor to Coordinator, and after 26 years she became the Indigenous Community Educator for the Indigenous Centre of Excellence for Early Years and Child Care.
Michelle is an active board member of the Ontario Reggio Association. Always looking to build relationships: to be able to think with and have thought-provoking questions for children and educators; to think deeper into the “why’s” “how’s” and the “wows” of childhood and beyond.
Michelle is learning her culture through daily life and listening to stories from her Elders, mother, and three children. She is an advocate for children, families, communities, and the environment by working alongside educators across Turtle Island. She enjoys sewing, and creating resources that educators can use to promote Indigenous Culture and Language into their classrooms in a respectful way.
RECE, ECEC
Sge:no, Hello Sherry Lickers Seneca Nation Turtle Clan from Six Nations Territory. Currently an Indigenous Professional Learning Opportunities Coordinator with FIREFLY. Her career includes a variety of roles in Early Years over the last 41 years as Front-Line Worker, Child and Family Coordinator, Supervisor in the Six Nations Community, and Instructor for Early Childhood Education at Six Nations Polytech.
Sherry is an active Board Member of the Association Early Childhood Educators Ontario, AECEO, for the last 5 years. Also, a committee member of the Truth and Reconciliation Guiding Committee, Co-lead of the All-Nations Circle of Practice for Indigenous Educators in Ontario. She has a commitment to the Early Years community and is highly active on many platforms for Early Years Educators.
Sherry is highly active Mother and Grandmother and enjoys many outings with her family. She is also Indigenous artist sewing many ribbon skirts and shirts and has recently taking up quilting making the Indigenous Star quilt.
RECE, ECEC
Hello Wanda Gordon, from Ear Falls, a northern Ontario community known for being host or home to Indigenous families from nearby First Nation communities. As an Early Childhood Educator graduate of Confederation College, Wanda’s career spans over 45 years. She began working directly with children and families in Front-Line and Supervisor positions and currently for the past 21 years, supports Early Childhood Educators and Early Years staff in Child Care & Child and Family Programs located in First Nation communities in the Thunder Bay Region as a Child Care Resource and Training Coordinator. Wanda now dovetails that work in her concurrent role as an Indigenous Professional Learning Opportunities Coordinator with FIREFLY.
Wanda is a founding and active member of the Provincial Early Learning Leadership Circle and enjoys networking with regional colleagues She is a dedicated professional and has developed and nurtured many positive professional working relationships within the early years sector and beyond.
When Wanda is not working, she is spending quality time with family and enjoys travelling with her daughter and friends. Her pastimes include dabbling in arts and crafts and spending time outdoors with her two dogs.