Peninsula College’s Early Childhood Education Program and the Olympic Peninsula Association for the Education of Young Children host the 16th-annual Early Childhood Conference on March 14 on the Peninsula College campus (1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.) in Port Angeles.
Registration and a continental breakfast will commence at 8:30 a.m.
The conference theme is "Building for the Future." Teresa Winstead delivers the keynote address, "Block Fest and Block Play," starting at 9 a.m. Winstead is the Thurston Early Childhood Coalition coordinator and Block Fest coordinator in Thurston County.
Block Fest is a research_based program using an interactive exhibit to provide families with young children a hands_on, math-and-science-learning opportunity. The exhibit has been shown to increase parent knowledge of early development in the areas of math and science education, while providing opportunities to increase social skills and literacy opportunities for young children.
Other conference highlights include 13 workshops, state superintendent clock hours, a vendor area and STARS, the State Training and Registry System for early childhood educators and providers. STARS scholarships are available for qualified registrants.
A number of Olympic Peninsula Association for the Education of Young Children scholarships also are available.
All of the conference’s workshops are led by local and state child care experts. They are designed specifically for professional educators and other early childhood workers from throughout the peninsula as well as parents and people who work with young children and their families.
Cost for the entire one-day conference is $35 for Olympic
Peninsula or Washington Association for the Education of Young Children members or WAEYC members, and $30 for students taking a minimum of six credits.
Nonmember registration fee is $55. Individuals also may elect to attend only the morning or afternoon session for a reduced fee.
For more information, call Marilyn Walsh at 582-9071 or
e-mail to: opaeyc@yahoo.com.
Individuals may register either online or by mailing registrations to Marilyn Walsh in care of the OPAEYC Conference, 1481 Elk Loop, Sequim, WA 98382.
