Seacoast Region Early Childhood Educator Conference 2022

17 Newmarket Road,Durham NH 03824

01 October, 2022

Description

Granite United Way is excited to announce the first Greater Seacoast Regional Early Childhood Educator Conference on October 1st in Durham, NH. We hope this will be the start in building an early childhood educator network across the Greater Seacoast Region. We look forward to seeing you there! Sign in starts at 8:30am with coffee and light snacks available. The conference will start promptly at 9:00am with our keynote speaker, Jeanine Fitzgerald. Keynote Topic and Speaker: Do Not Try to Fix or Change Me, I Am Not Broken by Jeanine Fitzgerald Children are not things to be molded, but people to be unfolded. We have somehow become a culture so obsessed with how children perform and who we believe they must become that we have lost sight of who they are and what they are experiencing each day. The over emphasis on performance, data and outcomes has become a trigger to dis-regulation, according to a Harvard University study. This segment begins with self-reflection on our behavioral style to identify potential biases and examines ways to adjust our practices to honor each child we interact with each day. We will entertain the neuroscience and strategies that supports the "right" expectations for each child. Attendees will have the opportunity to take a deeper dive in to one of the following breakout session topics. Please note that placement in your selected session cannot be guaranteed, but we will try our best to accommodate everyone! Breakout Session Option #1: Trauma / ACEs by Katie Soule, Association Director of Childcare and Day Camp Services for Granite YMCA In this session, we will explore ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and PCEs (Positive Childhood Experiences) and the ways these experiences impact early childhood education settings. Participants will walk away with toolboxes full of strategies for supporting one another and all children, especially our most vulnerable youth. Breakout Session Option #2: Building Positive Behaviors by Jackie Firmin, Child and Adolescent Therapist and NH Childhood Policy and Advocacy Consultant This session is focused on identifying practical and effective strategies to create spaces where children learn appropriate ways to express their needs. Participants will learn skills to understand, prevent, and respond effectively to challenging behaviors. *This conference is free of charge with food and refreshments included. At the closing of the event you will receive a short survey that will include details around approved professional development credits as well as questions to help plan future early childhood educator events. Please register by September 23rd and contact Liz Belsito at [email protected] with any questions.