Early Childhood Education Professional Institutes

Baltimore, Second Floor

Chair(s):                    
Corey Kirshenbaum, Omaha JCC, NE
Alma Hadash, Lawrence Family JCC, CA

Institute Staff:          Ruth Feldman, Miriam Healy

 

Sunday, March 11, 2007

2:00 p.m.
Welcome

2:30 p.m.                   

Institute #1
Who are 0-3 years olds?
How does our understanding of the development of the young child affect the outreach and programming that we create and how best are we to respond to the latest findings that we have from the research on brain development?                                                                                                        

Presenter: Kathy Hirsh Pasek, Ph. D.,Author of: “Einstein Never Used Flash Cards”

Chairs: Corey Kirshenbaum, Alma Hadash

 

Monday, March 12, 2007

11:15 a.m.                     

Institute #2
Who Are Their Parents?
Many American parents come to parenthood hopeful that they can anticipate and provide for their children's needs sufficiently well to avoid any significant disappointment or conflict.  As professionals, we may experience some tension with parents who seem at times to have unreasonable expectations for the school, the teachers and their children. Join us as we explore the reasons behind their actions and learn some new strategies for meeting the needs of the parents and children in our care.

Presenter: Susan Glase r, MA; Co- Author of: “Who's the Boss?”
Chair: Corey Kirshenbaum

 

4:00 p.m.                   

Institute #3
Can we give them a community to call home?
Very young children and their parents need to feel welcomed into the classroom community every day. How do our physical environments, our daily routines, our relationships convey this sense of welcome? What messages are we sending to our youngest members and their families? What effects will these messages have on relationship-formation, learning, and ultimately, the creation of a school that is a community?

Presenter: Lyndall Miller , ECE consultant, JCC Association
Chair:   Alma Hadash

 

7:00 p.m.                  

Institute Dinner [shared cost]

 

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

10:00 a.m.                  

Institute #4
Jewish Engagement from Birth:
A report on the recent study done by the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University

Presenter: Mark Rosen , Senior Research Associate, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University ;
Panel: Marcie Greenfield Simons , Program Director, The PJ Library
Caron Blanke , Shalom Family Director, Robert E. Loup JCC, Denver CO

 

1:30 p.m.                     

Institute #5
Programs of Excellence in Our JCCs, continued
How are the JCC early childhood programs responding to the 0-3 population and their parents? Where are they successful and what is the rest of the world doing?  What can we learn from each others expertise in programming for young families? What is the long term significance of our actions?

Panel: Alma Hadash , ECE Director, Lawrence Family JCC , LA Jolla, CA
Donna Federbush , Parenting Center Director, JCC in Manhattan
Jamie Klein , ECE Director, Mandel JCC, Hartford , CT

Chair: Corey Kirshenbaum

 

3:30 p.m.                    

Institute #6
Getting Support to do the Work:
A conversation with our program panel facilitated by Mary Lou Allen , Associate Director, Early Childhood, CAJE

What do we need to know to get started? How can we tie into the resources of the larger Community as we begin to respond to the needs of young parents and their children?

Benchmarks for Success
Review the latest research in ECE from JCC Associations benchmarking study

Presenter: Alan Goldberg , JCC Association, JCC Association
Ruth Pinkenson Feldman , JCC Association;

Chair: Alma Hadash

 

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

10:00 a.m.                  

Institute #7
The Happiest Baby – The Happiest Toddler
Dr. Harvey Karp is a widely read physician and child development expert. He blends modern science and ancient wisdom to reveal why newborns are not fully ready for the world at birth. He has developed three basic principles for understanding babies as well as improving their sleep and simple tips for calming toddlers. Over the past 26 years, he has taught thousands of parents, from working moms to Madonna his secrets for making children happy. He has appeared on Good Morning America, and Dr. Phil.

Presenter: Harvey Karp , M.D. Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, UCLA School of Medicine

Chair: Corey Kirshenbaum and Alma Hadash

 

12:00 p.m.                  

2007 Professional Conference Concludes