Early Childhood Education Conference At Ivy Tech

What: National Speaker Dr. Nefertit B. Poyner to keynote 4C of Southern Indiana Summer Conference

When: Saturday, July 13, Keynote at 10 a.m.

Where: Vectren Auditorium, Room 147

Ivy Tech Community College

3501 N. First Avenue, Evansville

Background: The 4C Summer Conference is planned on Saturday at Ivy Tech Community College Evansville Campus. Sponsored by the college and 4C of Southern Indiana, Inc., the conference will feature Keynote Speaker Nefertiti Bruce Poyner,  national trainer for the Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Center for Resilient Children. The conference is from 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m.. Registration takes place from 7:30-8:30, with breakout sessions in classrooms on campus from 8:30-9:45 and 12:45-2 p.m.

You hear in the news about students who have experienced traumatic brain injuries, or who have been a part of traumatic events – who have trouble learning, coping, and managing their emotions. Poyner’s keynote relates to this topic and is at 10 a.m. in Vectren Auditorium. It is titled  “The Resilience Cascade: Supporting Children, Families, Organizations and Communities.” It will introduce the concept of the resilience cascade: how strong communities that collaborate can influence the health of organizations and staff, and how healthy adults can support the resilience of children.

Poyner said that by gaining a stronger understanding of these important connections, participants will gain an appreciation for looking outside the box for strategies to support children. Participants will feel validated that taking care of themselves is not “selfish” or “self-serving,” but directly connected to the well-being of those in their care. Participants will also feel empowered to take a holistic, “big picture” view of resilience, leaving with a new perspective on how to best support children and families. She will also lead a breakout session titled: “Assessing and Strengthening Children’s Resilience Utilizing the Devereaux Early Childhood Assessment Program.” There will also be 20 other breakout sessions around topics related to such things as “What we can Learn from Reggio Emilia, Italy; Reading and Math Right from the Start; What Conscious Discipline Looks Like Every Day with Children; and How do you Help Children Manage Their Emotions.  See attachment for all breakouts.

There will also be an exhibit, located in the Bower-Suhrheinrich Visual Arts Center at Ivy Tech (Room 107) featuring “The Reggio Approach and Experiences in Dialogue.”