Louise Zimanyi

Professor of Early Childhood Education,
Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellness, Humber College, Toronto

My connection to water goes back to childhood with family picnics at the beach and swimming in lakes, first connecting to ocean - the Atlantic Ocean in Nova Scotia and then oceans all over the world, connecting to the Humber River as part of play, teaching and learning , working with sea turtles in the Caribbean.

My work, research and advocacy focuses on early childhood pedagogy and practice that promotes children’s play and learning, particularly in outdoor and natural spaces. I am involved in global work that explores play and learning in green blue natural spaces and environments.

I am currently exploring how collective engagement, inquiry and storytelling alongside educators, children, the Indigenous community and the other-than-human world in a land-based program (co-piloted and launched in 2016 at Humber College) may contribute to (re)storying and reshaping place-based early childhood pedagogy and practice.

As a guest living and working in Tkaronto/Toronto in Treaty 13, I acknowledge my privilege and am committed to an ongoing process of listening and co-learning on and with the Land and wise teachers as part of the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action.