Looking Ahead Together: Mattering, Belonging, and Our 70th Conference
CEC, to me, is about hope, mattering, belonging, and possibility.
As President of Ontario CEC, I am incredibly proud to be part of a community that has spent 70 years believing in the potential of exceptional children and youth and turning that belief into action.
This year, we have an extraordinary opportunity to celebrate that legacy as we come together on Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5, 2026, for Ontario CEC’s 70th Anniversary Conference.
Our theme, 70 Years of Hope in Action: Honouring Our Legacy, Shaping Inclusive Futures, reflects both where we have been and where we are going.
Throughout the conference, we will celebrate our history while exploring the ideas that continue to shape exceptional education: mattering and belonging, student voice and agency, equity and accessibility, relationships, innovation, collaboration, and moving beyond access toward meaningful participation and inclusion.
We will also celebrate another very special milestone in the 30th Anniversary of the Yes I Can Awards. For three decades, these awards have recognized the strengths, accomplishments, perseverance, self-advocacy, and contributions of exceptional children and youth. What better way to celebrate our history than by putting students and their possibilities at the heart of our anniversary.
I hope you will consider joining us in December. Whether you have been connected to Ontario CEC for many years or are just beginning to learn about our community, we would love to welcome you as we celebrate the past and imagine what comes next.
A Special Invitation to Join, or Rejoin CEC
Our 70th anniversary is also an opportunity to strengthen and grow our CEC community. If you are not currently a CEC member, or if your membership has lapsed, we would love to welcome you, or welcome you back.
In honour of our 70th Anniversary Conference, CEC is offering a special promotion:
- 50% discount on CEC membership for both new and renewing members
- Offer valid for all levels and categories
- Offer available for 1, 2 or 3 years
- Offer is valid from September 1 to December 31, 2026
- To join or renew your membership, please click here: https://exceptionalchildren.org/membership/individual-membership
- Please use this code: 26ONCEC
CEC provides an opportunity to connect with a community of educators, professionals, students, families, researchers, and leaders who share a commitment to exceptional children and youth. I hope you will consider taking advantage of this special anniversary offer and becoming part of that community.
As we celebrate 70 years, we are honouring the educators, families, students, advocates, and leaders who brought us to this point, and we are also looking forward.
What do we want to carry forward?
What can we do better?
And what kind of inclusive future do we want to create together?
For me, CEC represents both a legacy and a responsibility: to see strengths, presume possibility, create mattering and belonging, amplify voices, remove barriers, and continue to nurture hope.
Our legacy gives us a foundation.
Our students and families give us our purpose.
Hope helps us imagine what is possible.
And together, through action, we shape what comes next.
I hope you will join us on December 4 and 5 as we celebrate 70 years of Ontario CEC, 30 years of Yes I Can, and the beginning of our next chapter.
Whether you are a current member, have been connected to CEC in the past, or are discovering our community for the first time, we would love to welcome you to the conference. If you are not currently a member, we invite you to consider joining or rejoining CEC.
We would be delighted to welcome you, or welcome you back, to a community where you matter and belong.
Warmly,
Dr. Sue Ball
President
Ontario CEC