ECE Leaders in Atlantic Canada have many names: Directors, Operators, Administrators, Home Childcare Providers, Pedagogical Leads – to name just a few. Some own their centres and employ many ECEs, others serve as Executive Directors of non-profit early learning and care organizations, and others operate out of their homes as solopreneurs. ECEs also serve as informal leaders through mentoring peers and students, and by participating in the collaborative leadership of their centre.

Regardless of the title, ECE leaders are knowledgeable and dedicated professionals who focus on serving their communities through providing reliable, high-quality early learning and care for children.

In 2022, as part of the second round of the ECE Lab, the lab team conducted interviews with 18 early learning centre operators, directors and administrators. The perpsectives offered by these leaders were combined with learning harvested from the interviews and prototypes conducted in the first round of the lab. Together, the data painted a detailed portrait of ECE leaders: what motivates them, the paths they take to leadership, and how they practice leadership in their roles — as managers, owners, pedagogical leads, peer leaders, and/or mentors.