Early childhood educators and caregivers serving children birth to age 8 from throughout northern Arizona will be Celebrating Childhood during the 25th bi-annual Northland Pioneer College Early Childhood Fair scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Holbrook High School, 455 N. Eighth Ave.
International early childhood educator, film composer and author Enrique C. Feldman will be the keynote speaker. Feldman is the founder and director of the Fostering Arts-Mind Education (FAME) Foundation, a nonprofit organization helping preschools and elementary schools use artistic facilitating Life Learning Techniques. These ways of playing with purpose, breathing, relaxation, movement and music have impacted the lives of over 40,000 children and families over the past decade in the United States and Latin America.
Pre-registration before Wednesday, Oct. 21, is preferred. There is a $30 fee to attend the conference without earning college credit (ECD 099x-37498). To earn a half credit in Early Childhood Development (ECD 199-37497), the cost is $64. Sign up at any NPC location during regular business hours or by phone at 1-800-266-7845, ext. 7459. Participants can purchase lunch onsite for a nominal fee. Childcare is not available. There will be no on-site registration.
The one-day conference will include more than 35 workshops and panel discussions on current topics and educational standards. Workshop sessions will cover a variety of topics important to early educators and caregivers of young children, including the ever-popular puzzle-making session, health and safety, national CDA Credential process, nutrition, puppets and flannel boards, and time management.
Area outstanding early educators and caregivers will receive recognition and awards. The Northern Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children (NAAEYC) will also meet during the conference. Several vendors will be on hand.
This will be the final “official” ECD fair for Ms. Claude Endfield, chair of the college’s Early Childhood program and a national evaluator for Head Start and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). She is planning to “retire” at the end of the current academic year.
For more information about the Early Childhood Fair or Early Childhood Development classes at NPC, contact Endfield by phone at 1-800-266-7845, ext. 7335, or by email at claude.endfield@npc.edu, or Betsy Peck at ext. 7353 or betsy.peck@npc.edu.
The Holbrook Unified School District and NPC are the conference co-sponsors, with various organizations throughout Navajo and Apache counties helping to support the conference.
