SpeciaLink: The National Centre for Child Care Inclusion

Manitoba's Community of Practice

Westman Inclusion Group

Westman Inclusion Group (in the area of Brandon, Manitoba)
The WIG's as we are affectionately known, have been meeting as a group since May of 2005, when the founding members of the group attended a workshop by Sharon Hope Irwin, where she presented the SpeciaLink Child Care Inclusion Practices Profile and Principles Scale.

This workshop inspired the group of five to get together and see if this new scale would be of benefit to the Westman area. After we met and tried out the scales and then sent in our ideas for revision it was decided that we would continue to meet as a group.

We came up with the following vision and goals:
1. To have a rural voice in inclusion policy development
2. To learn about inclusion and promote inclusion in the Westman area.
3. To access resources and share information.

We have now grown into a group of 11 people from very varied backgrounds, from childcare to promise years personnel ( local child centred agency) to ECE instructors to parents. This very diverse and inclusive group has been involved in hosting two major one day workshops on inclusion. Most recently, we hosted a workshop titled Tying it All Together: Embedding Developmental Goals into Everyday Routines and Activities. The facilitator was Tammy Johannson- Pappas.

As well, WIG members have presented numerous smaller centre specific training using the Fear Factor workshop (taking the fear out of Inclusion) for various centres in the Westman area.

For more information, please contact Sherry Lynn
204 571-9118
kidszone@westman.wave.ca

SpeciaLink: The National Centre for Child Care Inclusion
76 Cottage Road,
Sydney, NS B1P 2C7
Phone (902) 562-1662
FAX (902) 539-9117
Contact us by email