Dear CACEE Members,

A few weeks ago, words like ‘physical distancing’ or ‘self-isolating’ were not a part of everyday conversation. Now they seem to be almost our only constant. A lot has changed quickly; we are working remotely, some of us may have some unanticipated ‘co-workers’ joining us at home, we may be feeling scared, angry, isolated, sad, or uncertain. And, that is ok. Feeling and naming these emotions enables us to start to work through them… one step at a time. Your CACEE community is here to support you as we navigate next steps and adapt to our reality resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our work as professionals in the post-secondary to career space is deeply rooted in building connections. While it is unsafe for us to do so face to face right now, we are committed to doing everything we can to nurture and foster the pan-Canadian network we have created as an association. We will find the bright spots, find creative solutions, and get through this together!

Here are some of the steps we are taking:

National Conference Postponement
Earlier this month, we acted in the best interest of our members and announced that the 2020 National Conference would be postponed until later in the year.  We are in the final stages of negotiation with our venue and conference partners for new dates. These are expected to be announced very shortly.

CACEE Connects: Supporting Each Other in Adapting to Our New Reality
Starting this Friday, March 27th,  from 12:00 – 12:45 PM ET, we will be hosting a virtual roundtable series. First up is “What actions are you taking to preserve and maintain your ‘culture’?”. These conversations will serve as a regular touchpoint for us to check-in and benefit from sharing approaches, ideas, and candid dialogue with one another. After our first roundtable, we will be keeping the lines of communication open with a new topic every Wednesday.  Keep your eye on your inbox, the CACEE LinkedIn page, and our Twitter feed to register and keep up on the list of upcoming topics!

REGISTER HERE

CACEE Checkpoint => WFH Challenge!
Starting on Monday, we will have a weekly challenge to help us stay connected and have a little fun!  Whether it is sharing your favourite work from home snacks, ways to keep active, or tips for setting up your remote workspace, we want to hear from you! We can’t wait to kick this off and play along together.

Pan-Canadian Career Centre Leaders Exchange
Later this Spring, we will be launching our first virtual community of practice (likely the first of many) for those in leadership roles in Career Centres. This will be a vehicle to exchange best practices, share ideas, and collaborate with colleagues nationwide on a communications platform. More details on sign-up for all of the e-communications/discussion forums and how to get involved will follow in the coming weeks.

Professional Development, Programming, & Tools
We will continue to deliver high-quality professional development and programming to our member community this Spring! National Coffee Chats with hot topics for both Employers and Career Educators, joint Webinars with CERIC, and our renowned Career Educator Certificate program are all on deck to be delivered virtually. We also may have one or two other creative ideas percolating – so stay tuned!

The CACEE LinkedIn Group is a great place to connect with colleagues, ask burning questions, and share information.  And, of course, the CACEE Exchange (our bi-weekly newsletter) and website are your sources to stay up to date on all that is happening across the association.

Business Continuity 
Our national office staff is working remotely and our Board of Directors continues to maintain its virtual meeting schedule – so rest assured all is operating in accordance with our standard policies and procedures. If you have any questions or need to connect with the national office, you can do so by e-mail at info@cacee.com. 

In the coming months, you will see the business of the association continue to move forward with our national awards voting, board elections, and steps towards our annual general meeting (AGM).

We are all in this together and are thankful to have you as a part of the CACEE community.  Let’s stay connected to this vast network of colleagues and support as we navigate what comes next in our reality of this pandemic!  
Wishing you, your loved ones, and family health, safety, and well being.

Your CACEE National Board of Directors and National Office Staff