Spring into Learning Event is Back on May 2 in Peterborough

Hayley Hodges invites people to attend Spring into LearningPETERBOROUGH, ON (April 1, 2026) – Spring is in the air, and so is the Spring into Learning series that returns to Five Counties Children’s Centre with a focus on helping attendees to ‘rethink disability’.

The second annual ‘Spring into Learning’ event is set for Saturday, May 2, from 9 am to 3 pm at Five Counties (872 Dutton Rd.) in Peterborough. Presenters at the event include a former Canadian Paralympian, a Trent University professor/writer, and a social worker/community activist. All three will discuss the importance of shattering pre-conceived notions and biases towards persons with disabilities.

The free event is back by popular demand, says organizer Hayley Hodges, who notes it is not just for Five Counties families. Anyone who supports or interacts with a person with disabilities, or who just wants to learn more about what it’s like to live with a disability, is welcome to attend.

“We had wonderful response to our first-ever Spring into Learning last year, that focused on seeing the ability, not disability in every person,” says Hodges, the Client and Family Engagement Lead at Five Counties. “This year’s theme focuses on how we can ‘rethink disability’ and see resiliency in individuals who overcome challenges and achieve new things with their different abilities. This year, there will also be special emphasis on the vital role of caregivers and how they can be better supported in their work supporting individuals with a disability.”

Spring into LearningThe full lineup for the Spring into Learning series includes:

  • Keynote speakerAlec Denys (five-time Paralympian, sports enthusiast and accessibility advocate), sharing his personal story of suffering a life-altering injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down, and how his love of sports helped him discover new abilities.
  • Workshop facilitator Derek Newman-Still (a local author, Trent professor and activist) speaking on the importance of resiliency in their own life to respond and correct presumptions from those who diss their disability.
  • Workshop facilitator Maureen Pollard (social worker and compassionate bereavement care provider) explaining how to ‘re-think resiliency’ by offering simple strategies for self-preservation that caregivers can into action when stretched to the limit. The focus is on small, manageable steps toward well-being that are possible even when life is hectic.

Registration is now open for the Spring into Learning series. People can go online or contact Hodges directly at 1-888-779-9916, ext. 215. Lunch and snacks will be provided at the event, along with takeaway resources. Child care will not be available at this year’s event.

Hodges believes there is great value in attending the 2026 edition of Spring into Learning. “What I get out of this, and what I hope others will, is a sense that they feel more comfortable interacting with those with disabilities, they understand the role the caregiver has in a person’s life (especially when they have a disability), and just a more positive perspective on disabilities as a whole,” she adds.

 

Category: General News