Contributed by Kalamazoo Valley Community College
KALAMAZOO (MICH)-More than 170 early childhood teachers, paraprofessionals, child care
providers, and parents from more than 15 early-childhood organizations in Kalamazoo County will gather at the third annual Early Childhood Rocks conference to support early literacy. Early Childhood Rocks will be held from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 6, at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, 6767 West O Ave.
Kalamazoo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice will introduce the trio of keynote speakers: Jacque Eatmon, Coordinator, Great Start Collaborative; Judy Samuelson, CEO, Early Childhood Investment Corporation; and Dr. Timothy Bartik, Senior Economist, Upjohn Institute, and author of Investing in Kids.
Eatmon and Samuelson will issue a call to advocacy on behalf of young children for programs and
services that set a trajectory, particularly in literacy, to benefit a lifetime. Dr. Bartik will discuss early-childhood education as economic development.
After that kickoff, participants will attend interactive breakout sessions. These will focus on strategies for developing children*s vocabulary and early literacy. Breakout sessions will be presented by
local experts from the following:
*Kalamazoo County Great Start Collaborative
*Kalamazoo County Head Start
*Kalamazoo Public Library
*Kalamazoo Public Schools Early Childhood Education
*Kalamazoo Regional Educational Services Agency (KRESA)
*Specialized Language Development Center (SLDC)
*SW MI Child Care Resources
*WMU Early Reading First
Several breakout sessions will feature Opening the World of Learning (OWL) literacy lessons. OWL is the nationally recognized literacy-intensive preschool curriculum used by several programs across
Kalamazoo County.
Two breakout sessions feature Community Panels: No Wrong Door – Community Supports for Families will give information about how to link young children and families to help when help is needed. Pulling Together to Provide Family Friendly Service will discuss ongoing efforts to help parents more easily find and enroll their young children in high-quality programs. Opportunities for staff training and parent engagement across programs will also be explored.
Conference sponsors are Kalamazoo County Great Start Collaborative, Kalamazoo County Head Start, Kalamazoo Public Schools Early Childhood Education, and WMU Early Reading First, Promising Beginnings. Regional non-profit agencies and area vendors will also provide door prizes and information booths. Kalamazoo Valley Community College has provided meeting space.
Fee is only $10 in advance or $15 at the door.
