The 35th Making Tomorrow Conference - Embracing Diversity

Thank you for attending the 2012 Making Tomorrow Conference! We hope to see you again next year. Please fill out our survey to let us know how we can improve the conference for next year:

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Keynote Speaker: Monique Gray-Smith

Fostering Resiliency with Indigenous Children and Families

This keynote will provide a brief historical perspective of Indigenous people in Canada and how our history continues to affect the lives of children, families, and communities today, including early learning and engagement in early learning programs. Stories of incredible strength, determination and resiliency will be shared as we explore the unique factors that foster the resiliency of Indigenous children and families. The ability to nurture, love and foster the potential of each and every child, is one of the most profound ways to make a positive difference in the world. One of the gifts we can give to each child is to honor and respect them for who they are. When we can provide opportunities for children to strengthen their social and emotional intelligence, especially within the diverse province we live, we all benefit.
Profile:
Monique Gray Smith is a mixed heritage woman of Cree, Lakota, and Scottish descent. She comes from the Cardinal Family at Peepeekisis First Nation and is the proud Mom of eight year old twins. Monique has been sober and involved in her healing journey for over 20 years. Her formal training is as a Psychiatric Nurse and her work experience has been in the areas of Aboriginal Education, Stress and Trauma Recovery, Staff Development and Wellness, Strategic Planning and Addictions. Monique’s strong understanding of the Early Years has lead her to work as the previous Executive Director for Aboriginal Head Start Association of BC and National Aboriginal Advisor for Roots of Empathy and Seeds of Empathy; as well as an instructor for the Justice Institute of BC. She has had the privilege of doing contract work, facilitating workshops and keynote addresses across BC, Nationally and Internationally, with a focus on fostering an understanding of the strength and resiliency of First Peoples in Canada. Under the umbrella of her own business, Little Drum Consulting established in 1996, Monique is also an accomplished writer with a diverse body of work that continues to influence the Aboriginal Early Years field. Monique is currently working on her first novel that tells the history of Aboriginal people in Canada through a lens of strength, resiliency and hope.

Call for Submissions: If you would like to present a workshop at a future conference please contact Marianne Kettlewell at marianne.kettlewell@gmail.com . Please include a brief description of your workshop, a brief background, and any pertinent websites or references you might have. Further information regarding the conference will be forwarded to you.