Best Beginnings 12th annual Early Childhood Conferences will be held on St. Thomas from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, May 27 and 28, at the UVI Sports and Fitness Center. The purpose of the conference is to provide educational opportunities to parents and professionals working with young children ages birth to eight years old. Last year, a total of 1,200 participants attended the conference over the four days. In order to better accommodate the increasing number of participants, all activities from day 1 will be repeated on day 2, and participants are encouraged to attend one of the two days. Each day will consist of an opening session featuring welcoming remarks from various departmental heads, an opening activity and breakout sessions. This year’s film festival will focus on serving young children in inclusive settings, and some of the sessions will be conducted in Spanish.
Best Beginnings Hosts 12th Annual Early Childhood Conferences
With a few exceptions, local professionals and parents prepare the majority of the presentations/breakout sessions. Breakout sessions are approximately an hour and fifteen minutes and usually10 to 12 topic areas are offered in each time slot. A nominal registration fee of five dollars per day will be charged. Lunch will be provided.
Workshops will include such topics as Approaches to Learning; Are Children Ready for Kindergarten? Art Everyday; Childbirth: A Time for Growth; Behavior Management Strategies; I Am Moving, I Am Learning: A Proactive Approach to Childhood Obesity; Busy Mothers, Healthy Children; Children and Nature; and many more.
The conferences are sponsored by the Departments of Human Services, Health and Education, the University of the Virgin Islands, Community Foundation of the VI, Lutheran Social Services of the VI, and Children and Families Council.
For information, contact Maureen W. Moorehead, district coordinator of Special Education, at 718-7997 ext. 241 or fax: 718-4640. ([email protected])