Early Childhood practitioners are invited to register for a Hawaiʻi Island Early Childhood conference offering cutting edge information and professional development for early childhood teachers and administrators.
The conference, themed “Manaʻolana – Rebuilding the Village that Nurtures our Keiki,” is set for Friday and Saturday, September 13 and September 14, 2024, at the Courtyard by Marriott-King Kamehamehaʻs Kona Beach Hotel.
Sponsored by the County of Hawaiʻi and Friends of the Future, the conference includes a Friday evening dinner and keynote speaker, followed by a full day of workshop sessions on Saturday, rounded out by vendors and information tables.
“This year’s conference piggybacks on the 2023 conference, ‘Huliau -A Time of Change,’ and centers on providing our island’s early childhood professionals with the tools for handling the challenging behaviors being exhibited in Post-COVID preschool classrooms, reinforcing Hawaiian values, and building industry leaders,” says Angela Thomas, the County of Hawaiʻi’s Early Childhood Resources Coordinator.
“We are ʻĀina” will be the focus of Friday night’s keynote by Waimea native and lifelong waʻa voyager Pōmai Bertelmann. She will take her experiences, both as a voyager and educator, to encourage and uplift early childhood professionals on the importance of their work with young children and reinforce the importance of Hawaiian values in their lives and their work with young children.
Saturday, participants will have 15 workshops to choose from in five topic strands – Kindergarten Entrance Assessment, Guidance, Professional Development, Curriculum, and Family Engagement. Conference organizers are bringing in a total of 21 presenters from Hawaiʻi and beyond. There will also be several vendors on hand providing industry-focused information and products.
Participants may register for Friday night’s dinner and keynote speaker ($30), Saturday’s workshops ($40), or for both days ($60). A special hotel room rate is available.
To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hawaii-island-early-childhood-conference-2024-registration-935090479797?aff=oddtdtcreator.
For questions, email Chelsea Ching at ChelseaChingFOF@gmail.com or call 808.785.7090.
