Leading early years membership
organisation the Early Years Alliance has revealed the line-up
for its fourth virtual annual
conference.
Minds Still Matter: a positive
approach to supporting wellbeing in the early years
will take place online from 6pm-8:45pm
on Thursday 20 June and is once again free to attend for Alliance
members and just £15 for non-members.
Following the publication of the
Alliance’s Minds Still Matter report, this year’s conference will
focus on the importance of supporting the mental health and
wellbeing of the early years workforce and how, despite the
ongoing backdrop of external pressures, educators can rediscover
the magic that lies at the heart of working in the early
years.
The opening conference features
Professor Jack Shonkoff, director of the Center on the Developing
Child at Harvard University alongside award-winning journalist,
author and public speaker Poorna Bell. The Alliance’s chief
executive Neil Leitch will also address attendees on the unique
challenges facing the early years workforce and how educators can
find the joy of working in the early years
again.
Attendees will also have the
opportunity to join one of three
seminars:
-
Supporting child
development: the value of observations,
hosted by
Stella Louis, early years
consultant and Nursery World Awards 2023 Trainer of the
Year
-
Play in the early years:
translating research into practice,
led by Alistair Bryce-Clegg, award-winning early years
author, blogger, product designer and advocate of
play
-
Creating a trauma-informed
approach in early years settings and
practice, hosted
by Jane Evans, childhood
trauma and anxiety media expert, TEDxspeaker, author,
parenting coach, trainer, and public
speaker
This year, for the first time,
attendees will also have the opportunity to view all three, with
each seminar recorded and circulated to all event attendees after
the event.
Commenting Neil Leitch, CEO of
the Early Years Alliance, said: “I am delighted to
announce such an inspirational line-up for this year’s Alliance
Annual Conference.
“Whether you are working in a
nursery, pre-school, as childminder or in a baby and toddler
group, the challenges facing the early years sector has never
been more acute – with our recent Minds Still Matter report
showing that more than eight in ten educators are regularly
stressed about a work-related issue. As such, we hope that this
year’s conference will shed light on the importance of supporting
the wellbeing of the early years workforce and inspire educators
to rediscover the value of working as an early educator.
“I look forward to hearing the
contributions of each of our speakers and learning more about how
we can support the sector to prioritise their mental health and
wellbeing.”
The full
agenda
-
6pm:
Conference
opens
-
6:05pm:
Professor Jack Shonkoff, director
of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University,
on how the development of young children is shaped by the
adults who care for them, the wellbeing of the early years
workforce, and the communities in which they
live.
-
6:20pm:
Poorna Bell, award-winning
journalist, author and public speaker, on the impact of
mental health challenges and the importance of supporting
positive mental health and wellbeing, building resilience and
self-care
-
6.35pm:
Neil Leitch, CEO, Early Years
Alliance
-
6.50pm:
Q&A
-
7.10pm:
Belle Tutaev Lifetime Achievement
Award
-
7.30pm -
7.50pm: Comfort
break
-
7.50pm -
8.45pm:
Seminars
Seminars
Early attendee can choose to attend
one of the three following seminars. This year, each seminar will
be recorded and circulated to all event
attendees.
Supporting child development:
the value of observations
Stella Louis, early years
consultant and Nursery World Awards 2023 Trainer of the
Year
Play in the early years:
translating research into practice
Alistair Bryce-Clegg,
award-winning early years author, blogger, product designer and
advocate of play.
Creating a trauma-informed
approach in early years settings and
practice
Jane Evans, childhood trauma and
anxiety media expert, TEDxspeaker, author, parenting coach,
trainer, and public speaker
