Story submitted on behalf of the LCC Planning Committee
Planning the annual Learning Connections Conference (LCC) is much like creatively deciding what to cook for dinner. The Core Planning Committee began the process in September 2021 by reflecting on feedback received from the previous year’s LCC participants, adding some consideration of the strategic priorities influencing our College, meeting with the College Executive Team for their suggestions and, most importantly, mixing in the current needs and hopes of SLC employees. We mixed all these ideas together and our theme “menu” for 2022 LCC is: Reconnect, Reflect & Recharge.
- Reconnect – anticipating that after two years of most employees working remotely off campus, there will be a strong desire to reconnect with long-time colleagues and meet new employees who have joined the College over the past two years.
- Reflect – obviously, the past two years have meant substantial change and impacted how we do our work, how we meet the needs of our students, and how this experience has affected us, so we knew there is a need to build in time to reflect.
- Recharge – the impact of COVID-19 has impacted on all aspects of our lives, both personally and professionally, which for many of us has been physically, emotionally, and intellectually draining, so we need to think about how we can recharge our energy, spirits, and motivation.
This theme was well received when the core planning committee met with the various College committees to seek input on our planning approach for 2022 LCC; however, we knew the theme was right on the mark when we asked employees who expressed an interest to participate on the LCC Program Planning Committee to share what the 2022 LCC theme means to them. Here is a just a sample of what members of our 2022 LCC Planning Committee had to say:
“This year's theme is meeting me exactly where I am right now. Recognizing what we've been through these past couple of years, and also any anxieties about what may lie ahead, we need to give ourselves the space to reconnect, to reflect and to recharge.”
“This theme embodies being able to set aside time for yourself to reflect on your relationships, talents and interests & to provide steps to take part in these meaningful activities so you can feel re-energized. Once you regain the best in you, you will feel more prepared to embrace all the opportunities that await you.”
“To me, the theme is about going back to who we were as a collective group when we interacted in person and shared a physical space, but it also symbolizes and acknowledges that changes have occurred. The opportunity to reflect on who we were and where we are is a great privilege and to be able to do so amongst those I respect and can learn more from, would be greatly appreciated.”
“This year's theme of Reconnect, Reflect & Recharge means to me re-learning how to come back together as a community. We have endured unprecedent social isolation of our time. This gives us an opportunity to reflect on our experiences and a chance to redefine our normal as we reconnect to daily living and socialization as we transition through the tail end of the pandemic. Recharge is a crucial component for success and wellness, for me this is important as I have experienced the ugly side of neglecting this component of wellness. As we head back into a sense of normalcy recharging will be a key in gaining momentum to reconnecting to daily living and socializing as we re-emerge into normal operations.”
And there are more wonderful descriptions of what our Program Planning Committee Members have expressed about what the 2022 LCC theme - Reconnect, Reflect & Recharge – means to them. To read all the committee members’ descriptions visit the 2022 LCC website www.LearnConnectSLC.ca
We invite everyone to continue sharing their own thoughts about this year’s theme using the conference hashtag #LCCSLC. Our team will collect these from Twitter and LinkedIn so that we may share them with the wider community. Reading these wonderful descriptions inspires us to create a 2022 LCC that will bring meaning and value to all SLC employees. Mark the 2022 LCC dates in your calendar now: Monday May 30 & Tuesday May 31, 2022.
Call for Proposals
We invite everyone to learn more about the Planning Team by visiting the LCC website and review the current CALL FOR PROPOSALS. Members of the SLC community can use this form to submit a workshop proposal or suggest an idea for a workshop:
- Submit a Proposal or Workshop Idea. Deadline: April 8, 2022. Note: You will need your SLC credentials to access this Microsoft Form.
Stay Connected with LCC
- Date: May 30 to 31, 2022
- Website: www.LearnConnectSLC.ca
- Twitter: @LearnConnectSLC
- Social Media Hashtag: #LCCSLC
- Email: LCC@sl.on.ca