Narnia Learning Centre

👏 Horray! Congrats to one of our own!!

The Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize Mitch as a 2026 Top 40 Under 40 honouree.

Please join us in celebrating Mitch's accomplishments as we share his story

Mitch Lawson has worked for the past 8 years as the Manager of Employment Services for the Southern Alberta Community Living Association (SACLA).

After graduating from the Lethbridge Polytechnic in 2013, Mitch first worked in the private sector in Business-to-Business Sales. In 2018, Mitch joined the team at SACLA to help launch the CATALYST Employment Service, with the aim of connecting with employers and developing employment opportunities for people with disabilities within the Lethbridge Business Community.

Since launch, CATALYST has supported over 150 job seekers and has collaborated with hundreds of local businesses to develop employment relationships, but also to act as a resource and consultation service for organizations who are seeking to build pathways to inclusive employment and tap into underutilized labour forces. CATALYST has also collaborated with various National and Provincial Partners to bring expanded services to Lethbridge, including the Great Equalizer Project and Seamless Support Project. Mitch also collaborated with Gateway Association and provincial partners to launch the Alberta Employment First Network, where Mitch continues to act as a steering committee member.

In 2025, Mitch led a panel of Inclusive Employment experts to speak during the Enactus National Summit. He also presented at the Disability at Work in Canada Conference in 2023. In 2022, CATALYST attended the National CASE (Canadian Association for Supported Employment) Conference to speak to the impact of their Innovation Lab funding that was utilized to expand employment services in Alberta. This year, he was shortlisted as a candidate to the 2026 Governor General's Canadian Leadership Summit in Ottawa.

A lifelong Lethbridge resident, Mitch looks forward to many more years supporting the Lethbridge business community, as well as contributing to a Lethbridge that is connected, collaborative and empowering for all citizens.

Happy Canada Day! 🍁

Why Slow Pedagogy Matters More Than Ever

In a world that seems to be moving faster every day, it's easy for early childhood settings to become caught up in routines, schedules, transitions, documentation requirements and the pressure to always be doing more.

What if children need more time to wonder, to play, to connect, to revisit ideas and to simply be?

Slow pedagogy is not about doing less. It's about being more intentional with our time, relationships and decision-making. It's about creating space for deep learning, meaningful interactions and genuine wellbeing for both children and educators. Slowing down has a wonderful effect on educator wellbeing too!

It also has strong connections to trauma-informed practice. When we slow down, we create opportunities to build secure relationships, respond to children's individual needs, reduce unnecessary stress and provide the predictability and emotional safety that many children need to thrive. Rather than rushing children through the day, Slow Pedagogy encourages us to notice, listen and respond with greater sensitivity and care.

Now more than ever, we need to reflect on the pace of our days. As educators we can ask ourselves

- Are children being given enough time to become absorbed in their play? Like, deeply absorbed!

- Do our routines support or interrupt learning?

- Are we creating environments that foster calm and connection, especially during arrivals at the service?
Just think about if you have loud disco music playing on arrival. What message is that portraying to children in the early mornings.

What messages does the pace of our day send to children about what we value? What do our practices demonstrate to children? What about our environments?

Sometimes slowing down isn't about having more time, It's about using the time we have differently. In the end, we all have the same amount of time in the day, it's about what values the individual services and educators hold. And remember Slow Pedagogy will look different in different services, as our community context matter!

Do you think early childhood education has become too rushed? Do you think childhood itself has become too rushed?