Lead Program Coordinator – Little Learners Collective (Pilot)

Lead Program Coordinator – Little Learners Collective (Pilot)

Organization: Ottawa Parent Resource Centre (PRC)

Location: Sandy Hill, Ottawa (in-person)

Position Type: Part-time, Temporary Contract (12 months)

Hours: 0.6 FTE (18-21 hours per week)

Contract Period: April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2027

Compensation: $35-40/hour

About Parent Resource Centre

Parent Resource Centre (PRC) is a trusted community hub in Ottawa supporting parents and caregivers through inclusive, strengths-based programming that builds confidence, connection, and belonging. PRC works alongside families facing systemic barriers, including low-income, newcomer, and linguistically diverse communities, and is committed to equity, accessibility, and community-led solutions.

About the Project

Little Learners Collective is a 12-month pilot initiative funded through the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) Seed stream. The project tests an innovative, integrated model of school readiness for children aged 3–6 and their caregivers, with a strong focus on reducing social isolation and strengthening caregiver/child engagement, capacity and belonging.

Delivered from PRC’s Sandy Hill resource hub, and/or program partner locations across the city, the pilot integrates:

• Little Sparks – weekly play-based drop-in sessions
• Kindergarten Readiness Lab – structured cohort-based programming for children and caregivers
• Mindful Movers – structured cohort-based movement, mindfulness, and co-regulation sessions

As a Seed-funded pilot, Little Learners Collective emphasizes learning, adaptation, and evidence-building to inform future program development, sustainability, and scaling.

Position Summary

The Lead Program Coordinator will oversee the curriculum development, design, delivery, evaluation, and continuous improvement of the Little Learners Collective pilot. This role is central to implementing and testing an innovative, belonging-focused early learning model while building organizational capacity and documenting pilot outcomes.

The Coordinator will lead program implementation across multiple delivery formats, recruit and support facilitators, steward project resources, build community partnerships, and ensure that learning from the pilot is captured and translated into actionable insights for future growth.

What you bring to this role

You bring a strong understanding of early childhood development and school readiness, along with demonstrated experience designing and leading play-based learning opportunities for young children and their caregivers. You are highly self-directed and confident working independently in a pilot or evolving program context, while also contributing thoughtfully within a small, collaborative team. You value relationship-building and bring experience working alongside diverse families and community partners in ways that are inclusive, culturally responsive, and strengths-based. You bring curiosity, adaptability, and genuine enthusiasm to building meaningful learning experiences, engagement strategies, and outreach approaches that support children’s early learning and family well-being.

Reports to: Executive Director

Key Responsibilities

Program Design & Preparation

• Lead the development of curriculum for all three program streams, ensuring alignment with:
  • How Does Learning Happen?
  • Ontario Kindergarten Program Framework
  • Evidence-informed practices in play-based learning, social-emotional development, mindfulness, and co-regulation
• Collaborate with French- and Arabic-speaking facilitators to ensure culturally responsive and linguistically accessible programming
• Develop session plans, facilitator guides, and program materials
• Develop and launch program marketing, promotional outreach, and recruitment of families to participate in the Little Learners pilot program

Program Delivery

• Facilitate or co-facilitate weekly Little Sparks drop-in sessions
• Support delivery of cohort-based programs alongside multilingual coordinators
• Create welcoming, inclusive environments that foster child development and caregiver connection
• Integrate caregiver engagement strategies that intentionally reduce isolation and build peer support
• Track attendance, participation, and retention across all program streams

Partnership & Community Engagement

• Build and maintain relationships with EarlyON centres, community health centres, settlement organizations, schools and other local partners
• Coordinate referrals, cross-promotion, and collaboration opportunities
• Support wraparound access to services for participating families

Evaluation, Learning & Pilot Outcomes

• Implement and maintain program evaluation tools, including attendance logs, pre/post surveys, facilitator observations, and focus group supports
• Collect qualitative and quantitative data related to caregiver belonging, confidence, and social connection
• Contribute to analysis, reflection, and synthesis of pilot learnings
• Support the development of a final evaluation report, including recommendations for adaptation, scaling, or sustainability

Administration, Leadership & Capacity Building

• Recruit, onboard, train, schedule, and supervise program facilitators, including multilingual coordinators
• Provide ongoing coaching and support to facilitators to ensure program quality and alignment with project goals
• Oversee program-related budgets, track expenditures, and coordinate purchasing in alignment with the approved OTF grant budget
• Lead program reporting and data tracking to meet funder requirements and internal learning needs
• Document processes, tools, and lessons learned to strengthen PRC’s organizational capacity and inform future program development
• Participate in regular supervision with PRC leadership and collaborate closely with the Executive Director

Qualifications & Experience

Education:

• Post-secondary education or equivalent experience in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Social Work, Community Development, or a related field; background in Adult Education or a related discipline considered an asset.

Required Experience:

• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, and leading school readiness or early learning programs for young children and their caregivers
• Strong, applied understanding of play-based pedagogy, early childhood development, and social-emotional learning, with the ability to translate theory into practice
• Proven experience working with diverse and equity-deserving communities, including low-income, newcomer, and/or linguistically diverse families, using culturally responsive and trauma-informed approaches
• Advanced facilitation, planning, and relationship-building skills, including mentoring caregivers and collaborating with community partners
• Ability to prioritize, problem-solve, and adapt in a pilot or evolving program context, while contributing as a key member of a small, collaborative team

Assets:

• Familiarity with Ontario early learning frameworks
• Experience with program evaluation or data tracking
• Multilingual capacity (French and/or Arabic)
• Lived experience connected to the communities served

Language

• Fluent in English, oral and written
• Bilingualism/multilingualism an asset

Additional Requirements

• Criminal Reference Check for the Vulnerable Sector is required
• Ability to work in-person at the PRC’s Sandyhill Resource Hub and/or other program site locations across the city as required; required access to a vehicle
• Ability to work evening and weekend shifts as programing requires
• Maintain all required professional accreditation/credentials in good standing

Salary $35-40/hour

Hours 0.6 FTE (18-21 hours per week)

Benefits The PRC offers generous vacation, sick days and personal days annually, as well as professional development opportunities.

How to Apply

If you are eager to share your knowledge, experience and expertise with the PRC, please send a one-page cover letter and resume outlining your interest and how your skills and experience will support the work of the PRC to selectioncommittee@parentresource.ca. Please save your cover letter and resume as one document as a PDF and title it: LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_LPC_PRC.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as they are received, and until the position is filled.

The Parent Resource Centre fosters a positive inclusive workplace culture, with a workforce that is representative of the families and communities we serve. Committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion, the PRC encourages candidates from diverse backgrounds and those who may need accommodation to apply to join its team. Should you require accommodation during the application process, please reach out to selectioncommittee@parentresource.ca.

Thank you for your interest in applying to join the Ottawa Parent Resource Centre. Please note that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.