The Art of Outside School Hours Care with Catharine Hydon (3 part series @ $100 per session)

Catharine Hydon presents about program planning using the MTOP Planning Cycle, how to engage children in creating the program and collaborating with families and community to create meaningful and sustainable connections.

Session One: The fundamentals of Program Planning: Exploring the expectations of the MTOP Planning Cycle. 

The planning cycle is crucial in outside school hours care (OSHC) programs for several reasons. A Child-Centered Approach, ensures that activities and experiences are tailored to the individual needs, interests, and developmental stages of each child. Continuous Improvement occurs through regularly assessing and reflecting on the program, educators can make informed adjustments to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the care provided. Engagement and Learning through a well-planned cycle promotes active and meaningful experiences, helping children develop social, emotional, and cognitive skills.

Session Two: The Art of Co-Design: Program Planning with Children  

Co-designing OSHC programs with children is one of the most powerful ways to engage children and young people and build positive and respectful relationships. When educators make active decisions to include children's ideas, they uphold their rights and strengthen opportunities for play and leisure. 

This session offers educators an opportunity to extend their understanding of the MTOP planning process to include actively include children’s idea and opinions.  Using practice examples, we will discuss strategies to co-design and collaborate with children.     

Session Three: The Art of Collaboration: Shaping Practice through Meaningful Engagement with Families and Community  

A collaborative engagement between school age care families and the community enhances quality (exceeding themes) and supports positive outcomes for children.  These partnerships seldom just happen - they need deliberate and thoughtful effort to build relationships and shared understandings.  This session will examine the theories behind these collaborations in school aged care and determine strategies to cultivate a stronger connection.   

A collaborative engagement between school age care families and the community enhances quality (exceeding themes) and supports positive outcomes for children.  These partnerships seldom just happen - they need deliberate and thoughtful effort to build relationships and shared understandings.  This session will examine the theories behind these collaborations in school aged care and determine strategies to cultivate a stronger connection.   

Cost per session is $100 Inc GST.

  • No future dates available.

About the presenters

  • Bio Image-1
    Catharine Hydon

    Catharine Hydon is an early childhood consultant with over 30 years’ experience, with a focus on supporting professionals to explore the relationship between theory and practice. As Principal Consultant and Director of Hydon Consulting, she partners with educators and leaders across Australia in a a collective effort to create meaning, define quality, and engage in the art of transformational change. Central to her work is the cultivation of professional dialogue that embraces diversity and invites deep reflection. Informed by a Masters in early childhood education, specialising in innovative practice and governance, Catharine is driven by the need for principled approaches to education and leadership, especially in complex times. She brings stories of practice to the intersections of theory, fostering co-design and capacity sharing.