Welcome to Polk County’s 6th Annual Early Childhood and Early Elementary Educators Conference, Bridges to the Future: Connecting Early Learning To Kindergarten. The goal of our time together is to support early elementary school teachers and early learning professionals by providing an opportunity to learn and advance the educational and transition opportunities for the children in our communities.
Over the next two days, early childhood educators, early elementary school teachers, and school staff will hear from a great keynote speaker, participate in self selected workshops including topics such as social emotional learning, supporting children with special needs, mindfulness, and more. These days are about exploration, integration, and connection. This conference is was brought to you by the collaborative efforts of a partnership between Polk County Family & Community Outreach, The Marion & Polk Early Learning Hub, and Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency Child Care Resource and Referral.
Special thanks to Western Oregon University for providing a space for us all to come together and learn from each other. For more information about how to stay connected after the conference, contact Stephanie Gilbert at gilbert.stephanie@co.polk.or.us
This keynote presentation, Readiness is Risk: Building Foundations for Lifelong Learning, explores the multidimensional nature of school and reading readiness, emphasizing the crucial role of risk-taking in children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Drawing from Parker Palmer’s insight that “we cannot know the great things of the world until we know ourselves to be great things,” the session inspires educators to foster classroom cultures where children feel safe to take risks, embrace challenges, and grow. Through practical strategies and reflective practices, participants will learn how literacy development is deeply intertwined with social, emotional, and physical development, and how teacher self-awareness and regard for children’s individuality create the foundation for meaningful learning.
