Early Childhood Conference to Celebrate School Readiness

Big Island Now stock photo. May 2016.

“Celebrating 10 Years… Full STEAM Ahead” is the theme for the 10th annual Hawai‘i Island Early Childhood Conference, set for April 28 and 29, 2017, at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in the Waikoloa Beach Resort.

The conference is open to anyone who works in or has an interest in the field of early childhood education, from infant-toddler providers to third-grade teachers.

Organized by Baby STEPS to Stronger Big Island Families, this year’s conference will feature a keynote presentation on April 28 by Nina Sazer O’Donnell, M.Ed., focusing on school readiness for all young children.

O’Donnell will present information from her latest book—The School Readiness Playbook—which she co-authored with Dana Friedman, Ed.D.

A day of thematic workshops on Saturday will include art, music, outdoor activities and movement, and their connections to basic STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) skills.

Workshop specifics and conference handouts can be found online.

Conference early registration has been extended to Friday, April 7, with the final deadline of April 14, 2017.

Participants may register for Friday only, Saturday only, or Friday and Saturday.

For a registration form, visit www.BabySTEPSHawaii.org.

For more information, contact Gail Judd at (808) 987- 8710 or gcjudd@babystepshawaii.org.

The Hilton Waikoloa Village is offering a special conference room rate; for information, go online or call 1-800-445-8667 using group code FBS.

Baby STEPS to Stronger Big Island Families, a program of Friends of the Future, is an initiative created by individuals and organizations committed to helping all keiki in Hawai‘i to be healthy, happy and to thrive by supporting families, strengthening practitioners and engaging communities.