Elizabeth Hamilton
Hi! I’m Liz.
My path to Explore It! has never been particularly straight — and I think that’s rather fitting. My background spans dance and kinesiology, culinary arts, fitness, yoga and education, but the common thread has always been a fascination with creativity, movement, learning and the joy of discovering something you love.
I spent many years working with children, whose boundless energy, curiosity and enthusiasm ultimately led me to a life in education. With the encouragement of my partner, Randy, Explore It! was born. As the company grew, I returned to school to study Early Childhood Education at George Brown College, bringing E.C.E. principles into everything we do — from encouraging kids to get active and try something new to helping them discover their own interests, strengths and talents.
One of my greatest joys is producing our annual main-stage musical theatre productions in schools across the city. I continue to train with industry leaders in New York City most summers, bringing new ideas, techniques and inspiration home to our young performers. There’s still nothing quite as magical as watching a show — and the kids creating it — come to life!
Movement and well-being also remain an important part of my work. I am an accredited member of Yoga Alliance, holding an E-RYT 500 designation with more than 3,000 hours of teaching experience, as well as Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher and Registered Pre- and Postnatal Yoga Teacher credentials. Most recently, I’ve begun an 875-hour Yoga Therapy diploma program, continuing my study of the connection between body, mind and well-being.
More than anything, I believe wholeheartedly in the value of exploring. Discovering our interests and passions — whether they last for an afternoon or a lifetime — builds confidence, individuality and independence. It’s the idea at the heart of Explore It!: give children opportunities to create, experiment, perform, move, make, discover and find the things that light them up.
I’m incredibly lucky to spend my days doing exactly that alongside Randy and the Explore It! team — and I can’t imagine a more rewarding journey.
Elizabeth Hamilton: [email]
Randy Dobson
Hi! I’m Randy.
Some of my best memories growing up came from the things I got to do outside the classroom — camps, sports, theatre, games, performing arts and just about anything else I could try. Those experiences helped shape my belief that giving children opportunities to explore their interests, discover what they’re good at and simply have fun doing something new can have an impact that lasts well beyond childhood.
My own work with children and young people started early, first as a babysitter and later as a Camp Counsellor with the YMCA. From there, my career took me through a wonderfully varied collection of roles, including Seasonal Supervisor at Canada’s Wonderland, Manager at Toys “R” Us and Coordinator for the Mississauga International Children’s Festival. Each gave me a different perspective on creating experiences for children and families — and reinforced just how much great programming can matter.
Along the way, I earned my degree in Political Science and Urban Studies from York University and built a career in business, including senior management roles with Canadian companies. That combination of youth programming, community involvement and business experience turned out to be a pretty great foundation for Explore It!
Today, I work alongside Liz to keep the many moving pieces of Explore It! moving — supporting our instructors, working with our school partners and helping make sure the big ideas actually work in the real world. One of my favourite parts of the job is working with our incredible team of instructors and watching them turn their own interests and expertise into experiences that kids are genuinely excited about.
At the heart of it, I still believe what all those camps, shows, sports and activities taught me years ago: kids benefit enormously from having the chance to try things. Not every interest has to become a lifelong passion. Sometimes discovering what you love — or even what you don’t — is valuable all on its own.
That spirit of exploration is what we’ve built Explore It! around, and I’m incredibly proud of what Liz, our team and our school communities have created together.
Randy Dobson: [email]