February brings a meaningful mix of reflection, learning, and connection. As we recognize African Heritage Month in Nova Scotia, this month’s mailout invites you to pause, learn, and engage with resources that honour the history, culture, and contributions of African Nova Scotians—and consider how this knowledge continues to shape inclusive, respectful career development practice.
You’ll also hear about NSCDA’s recent participation at Cannexus 2026, where our team connected with practitioners from across Canada, shared our work, and brought back insights to strengthen how we support members at both a provincial and national level. Alongside this, we’re excited to share details about a new course launching this month, Afrocentricity, designed to support culturally responsive, community-centred work. This mailout also highlights tools to support your own wellbeing and sustainability in practice, including our Intentional Beginnings Wellness Package, and the latest episode of our From the Field podcast, featuring a thoughtful conversation on disability, inclusion, and career development. We hope you find something here that informs your work, supports your wellbeing, and helps you stay connected—to community, to practice, and to each other. |
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Celebrate African Heritage Month
Strength in Unity |
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February 2026 marks African Heritage Month in Nova Scotia—a time to learn, reflect, and celebrate the history, culture, and contributions of African Nova Scotians. This year’s provincial theme, “Strength in Unity: Moving Forward with Purpose, Prosperity, Power, and Progress,” highlights how collective action, shared history, and community leadership continue to shape positive change across the province.
For career development practitioners, African Heritage Month is also an opportunity to deepen cultural understanding, support inclusive practice, and engage with resources that honour more than 400 years of African presence in Nova Scotia and the legacy of its historic African Nova Scotian communities. |
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Explore & Learn: Resources for Practitioners |
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We encourage members to take time this February to engage with these resources, reflect on how history and culture inform our work, and continue building inclusive, respectful |
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New Course Launch: Afrocentricity
A new learning opportunity to strengthen inclusive, community-centred practice |
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Launching February 18, 2026 This February, NSCDA is launching a new learning opportunity focused on Afrocentricity—designed to support reflective, inclusive, and culturally responsive practice.
This 12-module course introduces learners to African-centred values, histories, and lived experiences, with a specific focus on African Nova Scotian communities. Participants explore Afrocentricity as both a framework and a practical approach that can inform education, community work, policy, and career development practice.
This course provides a holistic understanding of Afrocentricity, its impact on cultural identity, history, politics, and education, and its global relevance and contemporary applications. Delivery options include: - Self-Directed Online Learning (12 modules, completed at your own pace)
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Self-Directed + Instructor-Led Sessions, featuring facilitated discussions, guest speakers, reflection activities, and applied learning
More details will be shared closer to launch. We look forward to welcoming learners into this timely and meaningful course. |
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NSCDA Wellness Program Practical tools for your well-being—at your own pace. |
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| The Intentional Beginnings Wellness Package is designed with career development practitioners in mind. It offers gentle, practical tools to support wellbeing, emotional regulation, and meaningful goal setting—both for yourself and for your work with clients. Grounded in values-based reflection and nervous system awareness, this package supports you to slow down, reconnect with what matters most, and move forward with intention rather than pressure |
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Intentional Beginnings: Values-Based Goal Setting for Sustainable Work & Life
Educational session facilitated by Autumn Grant
This session invites you to step away from rigid, outcome-driven goals and reconnect with your core values as a steady guide. Through a blend of psychoeducation and reflection, participants explore how to set goals that feel aligned, realistic, and sustainable—without adding more “shoulds” to an already full plate. Breath of Joy / Rage Breathwork Practice
Guided movement and breathwork with Autumn Grant
This short, embodied practice offers a safe way to release built-up stress and emotional tension while restoring energy and clarity. It supports nervous system regulation and is especially helpful during times of overwhelm, transition, or emotional fatigue. Wheel of Reflection: A Seasonal Journalling Guide
Workbook created by Christina Flower Beaver
This thoughtfully designed workbook takes a seasonal approach to reflection, encouraging curiosity and self-compassion rather than constant productivity. It invites you to honour where you are right now—personally and professionally—and reflect on growth in a more natural, cyclical way.
Guided Meditation to Accompany the Wheel of Reflection
Meditation guided by Christina Flower Beaver
This calming meditation complements the journaling guide, helping you slow down, settle in, and listen inward. Together, the meditation and workbook create a supportive space for reflection, insight, and renewal. |
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What’s Included in Every Monthly Wellness Package - A 1-hour pre-recorded lecture with guided practices
- Two shorter sessions (movement, breathwork, or mindfulness)
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A themed worksheet with journaling prompts and reflective exercises
All sessions are released monthly on the NSCDA Learning HUB, so you can participate at your own pace.
Quick Step-by-step guide on how to access Wellness Webinars |
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Test yourself with our new interactive crossword puzzle! |
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We’ve built a fun, online crossword using key terms from the world of career development. It’s a light, low-pressure way to brush up on familiar concepts, introduce the language of the field to colleagues, or even spark ideas for client activities and team meetings.
You can complete the puzzle right in your browser, watch each correct word light up, and enjoy a little celebration when you finish. Give it a try and share it with your coworkers |
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From the Field - A Podcast by the NSCDA |
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The Nova Scotia Career Development Association (NSCDA) is committed to supporting the people and systems behind strong employment services. One way we do that is through From the Field—our short, practical podcast featuring 10-minute conversations on career development practice, workforce trends, and what’s ahead for the sector. It’s an easy listen for a coffee break, commute, or between appointments. |
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Work without Barriers: Disability and Career Development |
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In this episode, NSCDA’s Lisa Strong sits down with Marcus Jamieson, Executive Director of TEAM Work Cooperative, to talk about Work Without Barriers and what meaningful inclusion really looks like in practice. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in advocacy and employment support, Marcus challenges deficit-based thinking and reframes disability as a natural part of human diversity. The conversation offers thoughtful insights for career development practitioners navigating a changing world of work—and reminds us why competencies, values, and inclusion matter more than ever.
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You're Invited: Stories That Stick — A Full-Day Training with Terrence Taylor |
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February 17, 2026 · 9:00 AM–3:30 PM
Delta Hotel by Marriott, 240 Brownlow Ave, Dartmouth |
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Join us for a full-day, hands-on training designed for career development professionals, job coaches, employment facilitators, and front-line staff. This highly interactive session will give you practical tools to help clients communicate their strengths, highlight transferable skills, and showcase their lived experiences. Why Attend? Many clients struggle to express their value—especially when their paths don’t follow traditional routes. Terrence Taylor, founder of Talks Too Much. International Speaker & Coach, brings a dynamic, human-centred approach that helps people find their voice and confidently share their stories. | |
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What You’ll Learn Throughout the day, you will: - Use storytelling strategies to surface and validate transferable skills
- Support clients in recognizing prior learning and life experience
- Strengthen client confidence and career decision-making through narrative
- Facilitate storytelling-based activities in both group and 1:1 settings
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Adapt narrative tools for diverse client groups—youth, newcomers, mid-career professionals, and more
- Leave with ready-to-use resources you can plug into your existing programming
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NSCDA at Cannexus 2026 Listening, learning, and representing our members on a national stage |
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| Last week, NSCDA staff were in Ottawa attending Cannexus 2026, Canada’s largest bilingual career development conference, alongside nearly 2,000 career development professionals from across the country and around the world.
For our team, Cannexus is more than a conference—it’s a chance to reconnect with colleagues, meet face-to-face with members, and listen closely to what’s happening across the sector. NSCDA participated as a recognized partner, exhibitor, and presenter, with a shared booth highlighting both our training offerings and the National Certification program. Throughout the week, staff had meaningful conversations with practitioners at all stages of their careers, answered questions about certification and professional development, and shared how NSCDA supports career development practice at both the provincial and national levels.
Cannexus brings together in-person and virtual participants through shared keynotes and main-stage sessions that foster a strong sense of community. Our team took part in these sessions, learned from peers, and brought back ideas and insights that will help shape our future work and member support. |
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NSCDA also led two sessions during the conference: - Discover NSCDA: Supporting Career Development Professionals, highlighting our training, certification, resources, and networking opportunities.
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Why Being a CCDP Matters for You, Your Clients, and Communities, focusing on how certification strengthens professional practice, supports public trust, and contributes to consistent, high-quality career services across Canada.
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Participating in Cannexus allows NSCDA to stay connected, visible, and engaged at a national level—while continuing to bring value, insight, and leadership back to our members. |
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Explore the Sector-Specific Job Board |
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Find jobs that match your skills, knowledge and experience
Learn more... |
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Looking to fill a position in your organization? Don't forget to post it on the NSCDA HUB! By sharing your job openings there, you'll be reaching a targeted audience of career development professionals who are actively engaged in the field. It's quick, easy, and gets your listing in front of the right people.
Learn more... |
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Re-discover the NSCDA HUB: Your All-in-One Resource for Career Development Professionals |
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The NSCDA HUB is packed with features to support your professional growth, connect you with peers, and make the most of your membership. Here’s a quick look at what’s available and how to access it:
As a member, you have access to exclusive online courses and webinars, events and discounts on conferences, events, and training.
Go to www.nscda.ca and select HUB login to get started
Overview of the NSCDA HUB |
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The trusted voice for the career development community since the late 1990s. Offering professional certification, training based on competencies, special membership benefits, and opportunities to get involved in research, networking, and advocacy. |
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