Our Mission
Our goal is to encourage professionals and parents to educate themselves and stay up to date on childcare practices. We want to be part of the re-education movement and put the joy and excitement back in teaching and parenting. We are also devoted to helping outline their personal learning journeys, optimize their potential and find values in their work.
Peruse our workshops for a topic that interests you.
Knowledge, alone, is not power, but it’s the tool – the leverage – that makes the action that follows meaningful, thoughtful and, ultimately, kind.
Our Team
Sunny Leong
As the founder and creator of this unique and varied, one-stop-shop, Sunny offers educational services for caregivers, teachers, students, parents and community leaders. Sunny is passionate about finding, creating and promoting relevant workshops to inspire her clients. By providing her clients with helpful resources, she offers support in all areas that can enhance her clients’ lives.
Sunny has 17 years of experience running a childcare centre. After selling her business, she become a Career Development Practitioner and graduated from the diploma program at SFU. Sunny’s provides services for parents and educators and helps them create clear visions for success. By helping her clients discover their authentic selves, she helps them become the best versions of themselves they can be.
She and her growing Connect-To-Success team offer fresh, informative and entertaining workshops that are accessible to all.
You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.
– Maya Angelou (Sunny’s favourite quote)
Johanna Simmons
Johanna Simmons, MA RCC, is a Registered Clinical Counsellor who specializes in children and family therapy. She holds a Masters degree in Counselling Psychology and is adjunct faculty at Adler University where she teaches the Child Development and Counselling course there. She also supervises practicum and pre-practicum students at the university. Johanna has worked with children since the 1990s in an educational setting: as a classroom teacher, a special education teacher and a play therapist. Additionally, she is a certified parenting instructor, a certified Synergetic Play Therapist and a certified Expressive Play Therapist.
[I fully believe that] everyone possesses and can locate his/her own source of healing.
Sarah McCarthy
Sarah McCarthy created a business in 2016 with the idea of connecting early childhood educators together, and offering workshops that she feels are needed in the field (ECE Connect). Sarah holds a Bachelor of Science in education and training, a diploma in Early Childhood education and Montessori (0-12 years), and a certificate for children with special needs. She’s been in the educational field for over 15 years. She, also, currently manages a preschool and is an instructor at Vancouver Community College. Sarah is currently on maternity leave.
Together, through kindness and empathy, we can connect, share, and help each other to become better teachers.
Natascha Lawrence
Natascha Lawrence, M.A., R.C.C., is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Certified Synergetic Play Therapist, and BC Registered Play Therapist (BCRPT) Candidate. She specializes in the mental health and addiction treatment of children, youth and adults affected by FASD. ASD, and other neurocognitive disabilities.
She has her masters in counselling psychology and over ten years experience working with individuals and their families. Natascha has experience working with clients across different modalities including inpatient child/adolescent psychiatry, child and youth mental health, elementary schools and addictions treatment programs and provides trauma therapy from a neurobiological, person centered, and somatic based approach.
Natascha provides presentations to families, schools, housing, mental health and addiction agencies.
Natascha provides presentations on the following subjects:
- Supporting individuals with FASD
- Supporting the mental health of individuals with FASD
- Providing Trauma Informed Care in an Educational Setting
- How to co-regulate children with challenging behaviours
- Supporting your nervous system: self-care and regulation when working with complex behaviours
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.
– Margaret Mead (Natascha’s favourite quote)
Jane Keresztes
Jane Keresztes, holds a Bachelor of Education degree and was a teacher with 25 plus years of experience working in the Elementary, Secondary and Post-Secondary education system. Jane is a Certified Career Development Practitioner graduated from Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Additionally, Jane is the founder of Crossroads Career Counselling, specialized in 1:1 consultations and in-group facilitation. Jane is an experienced public speaker and guides future Career Practitioners through a 3-day Personality Dimensions workshop, “train the trainer” style at the SFU (Surrey) Continuing Education department. She also piloted “Spotlight on Change” at Douglas College (The Training Group, Coquitlam) for women over 40 returning to the workplace. Jane currently volunteers at Covenant House working with at risk youth street youth.
Jill Boadway
Jill Boadway guides people in career or life transition with processes for self-discovery and affirmation of their unique design, in order to create greater fulfillment and work they love. As a Certified Advanced Hand Analyst she offers loving reflection of the strengths, gifts and significant life patterns which are written in our hands and fingerprints, to inspire greater self-understanding. Jill also integrates practical applications for empowered action into her work, from her training as a Career Development Practitioner from SFU, and holds a compassionate view of our inherited ancestral patterns, as a Family & Systemic Constellations Practitioner. She is a Certified Advanced Hand Analyst from the International Institute of Hand Analysis.
Alexia Gillespie
Alexia Gillespie grew up on a hobby farm on Vancouver Island. She was a free-range kid and developed a love for physical activity and the outdoors early in life. Her first degree was in elementary education with a specialty in physical literacy. She taught children and adults in Canada and abroad for 8 years prior to becoming a registered nurse. Alexia works as a patient educator in the Heart Centre at St. Paul’s Hospital and has her own health coaching practice. Through her own health challenges and parenting journey, she has experienced the value of being part of a healthy and supportive community of people who are learning and growing together. Alexia is the founder of Strong Healthy Kids, a company that is committed to supporting children to be strong and healthy, body, mind and spirit.
Margaret/Margarita, the LOL Library Lady
For over 9 years, Margaret has worked in an award-winning library organization (known for its quality and innovative programming), in Ontario, as a children’s programmer and literacy educator. She creates programs daily that aim to engage, entertain, and promote discovery and wonder in her school-age to toddler-age participants.
Margaret considers it a privilege to work with children (parents, educators, and caregivers) in the library environment. She also feels strongly that programs must be interactive and discovery-based to support a child’s ongoing personal growth, and nurture a life-long love of learning and exploration. And, to do this, of course, the programs must be fun!
Quinn Cashion, MEDL, RTC
Your Mental Wellness & Coach
Quinn is a registered therapeutic counsellor, social and emotional living educator, parent coach and author of RESILIENT: How to Engage the Well-Being and Resilience of All Students. Her training programs for parents introduce three simple ingredients to help parents have a healthier connection with their children. Quinn shows parents how to recognize the resilience in their children, even through challenging behaviour. This approach also aims at decreasing stress increase the well-being of parents.
Connect-To-Success 