Four sub-areas under this theme will be explored:

1. Culture:  Contextualizing play and learning is key for student engagement and connectedness to their environment. Within our context, the sphere of culture and language and how it shapes our practice to support students is key. Come dive into the sphere of culture to learn how educators are contextualizing play and learning not only within China, but their specific communities. Examine how language development is supported and honored for multilingual children and blended into play. 

2. Digital:  Early childhood educators have had to embrace and adapt to the digital sphere over the past few years. What may have been a niche sphere for many, has become a daily sphere they work in with their children. Come enter the digital sphere and learn how educators have adapted key areas of learning for young children into the digital realm and supported play in this context. Find out the creative and innovative ways educators have been able to support child development and foster relationships with children and families in the digital world.

3. Outdoor:  The outdoor sphere is dynamic and changing. Each community's experiences with the outdoors are varied and connected to their sense of place. What does it mean to a school in terms of “outdoor” environment and how do they utilize this space for their children and learning? Come into this sphere to examine the unique approaches schools have taken to engage students with their outdoor environment and the challenges and opportunities for schools seeking to extend this sphere.

4. Wellbeing:  The sphere of wellbeing has shifted of the past few years as teachers and families have faced new challenges in teaching, learning and living. While balance in our lives continues to be an important aspect of a healthy life, there is a deeper layer to the sphere of wellbeing. With these challenges comes opportunity and the sphere of wellbeing for many schools has extended further into the lives of its community. Come learn with us on how schools have continued to support the wellbeing of staff, as well as students and families. Dive into aspects of support such as crisis management, support systems and how the deeper layer of the pandemic has affected our communities and how we as schools have found opportunities to connect and support each other and those affected.