The conference is called Empowering Early Childhood Professionals and this year's theme is Flourishing in a Post-Pandemic Classroom and Meeting Children's Needs! The conference will be on Saturday, June 3rd, 2023 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and it will be at the Monarch Hotel in Clackamas, OR.

Our vision is to offer strategies and support for childcare professionals who are navigating the rolling effects of the pandemic. All have seen how the young children in their care have been affected, especially when it comes to behavior and social emotional development. Strategies for empowering professionals to better care for children—and themselves—will be explored in an inspiring and collaborative environment.

The conference will include:

an inspirational keynote from Kelly Wilson, a fellow early childhood professional who has decades of experience and knowledge in early childhood, special education, general education, inclusive education and on how to support young children who exhibit challenging behaviors.

Set 2 training sessions to gain ORO credits on various topics like the Pyramid Model, how to support children who have experienced trauma, and therapeutic play - to name a few!

an opportunity to meet community partners who can provide early childhood professionals additional support!

time to meet early childhood professionals from all over Oregon!

Clackamas Education Service District Child Care Resource & Referral will be holding the Empowering Early Childhood Professionals Conference on Saturday, June 3rd, 2023, in Clackamas, Oregon. This event is a professional learning and networking opportunity for child care professionals.
Our theme is Flourishing in a Post-Pandemic Classroom and Meeting Children's Needs. Our vision is to offer strategies and support for childcare professionals who are navigating the rolling effects of the pandemic. All have seen how the young children in their care have been affected, especially when it comes to behavior and social emotional development. Strategies for empowering professionals to better care for children—and themselves—will be explored in an inspiring and collaborative environment.

Session One Classes

Give Me Five 5: Key Practices to Prevent Challenging Behavior
Challenging behavior getting you down? Join us to examine 5 key practices to support young children and promote positive behavior in the classroom and at home. Participants will explore ways to problem-solve challenging behavior, reflect on interactions with children, and support children’s social skills. Participants will leave with a plan for the classroom or home!

Examining Challenges for Children with Activated Stress Response and Calming Strategies Using All 5 Senses
Participants in this training will examine the common challenges of stress and overstimulation experienced by adults and children. We will explore states of arousal and the “fight, flight, or freeze” response and how to move back into productive states of activity when triggered. Hands-on activities will allow attendees to explore a variety of strategies that can effectively be used to calm overactive minds and bodies by targeting all five senses.

Help! Caregiver in Distress (Spanish)
In this session we will examine factors that lead to burnout and warning signs of compassion fatigue. We will select practices to help the caregiver develop strong social and emotional health including mindfulness, self-care, and resilience.

Words We Use: Positive Phrasing to Support Young Children
Learn ways to speak with children that promote a peaceful, respectful classroom environment. Explore phrases that you may use currently that you want to eliminate. Transform your tone and increase the kindness in your voice when you speak to children. Practice building phrases that are honest and clear, loving and kind.

Picking up the Pieces: Strategies to Support Children in the Aftermath of Trauma and Disasters
In this training we explore how children’s brain development is affected by traumatic events and explore the differences between toxic and tolerable stress. We will apply developmentally appropriate strategies to nurture healthy coping and the importance of children’s involvement in the process.

Healing Trauma Through Storytelling: COVID Session
Come together in this healing space to craft, create, and story tell about your experience with the pandemic. As strong advocates of self care, early childhood professionals are often already deeply engaged with this work but this is your opportunity to take a moment to slow down for you. Come tell your story!

Session Two Classes

Supporting Social-Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children
Fundamentals of the CA Teaching Pyramid
The CA CSEFEL Teaching Pyramid is a comprehensive framework designed to help educators promote social-emotional competence, address challenging behaviors, and develop safe and nurturing group environments for all children. Participants will practice and develop program supports and expectations around the four most effective and foundational strategies from the Teaching Pyramid.

Using Therapeutic Play as Targeted Social-Emotional Support
In the healthcare context, therapeutic play refers to specialized activities that are developmentally supportive and facilitate the emotional well-being of a pediatric patient. By applying a child life perspective to early childhood education, participants will explore the concept of utilizing therapeutic play as targeted social-emotional supports for the children in their care.

Pyramid Model Leadership Series
Join a cohort of preschool directors and program leaders to learn about the program-wide implementation of the Pyramid Model framework! Participants will learn about and use tools for evaluating and developing implementation action plans. Participants will also be able to learn from other programs, bring back problems of practice, and gain familiarity with free tools and resources.

Attachment: I have a special person in my life who cherish and guides me
In this training, participants will explore principles of healthy and unhealthy attachment. Examine factors that influence children’s healthy attachment, trust, and security. Select different strategies to support healthy interactions between caregiver and child.

Active Listening: Build Relationships, Solve Problems and Avoid Misunderstandings
Listening is one of the most important skills you can have. How well you listen has a major impact on the quality of your personal and professional relationships. Active listening is when you make a conscious effort to hear and understand people so you get the complete message. In this training, we will explore the latest research on active listening and then practice several different strategies for applying these listening methods. We will then develop ways to apply active listening skills to support and improve communication with children, parents and staff.

Supporting Children Through a Goodness of Fit Model: Understanding Children’s Behavior in the Context of Sensory Motor Development and Temperamental Individuality
Participants will examine research on brain development and implications on educational practices, integrating sensory motor approach to support children’s behavior. We will explore the history and theory behind the Four Temperament and question its use to support children applying a “Goodness of Fit” model. Participants will design strategies to support challenging behavior.

Hello!

Clackamas Child Care Resource and Referral is hosting an in-person conference this summer and we would like to invite all early childhood professionals in Oregon to attend!

The conference is called Empowering Early Childhood Professionals and this year's theme is Flourishing in a Post-Pandemic Classroom and Meeting Children's Needs! The conference will be on Saturday, June 3rd, 2023 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and it will be at the Monarch Hotel in Clackamas, OR.

Our vision is to offer strategies and support for childcare professionals who are navigating the rolling effects of the pandemic. All have seen how the young children in their care have been affected, especially when it comes to behavior and social emotional development. Strategies for empowering professionals to better care for children—and themselves—will be explored in an inspiring and collaborative environment.

The conference will include:
an inspirational keynote from Kelly Wilson, a fellow early childhood professional who has decades of experience and knowledge in early childhood, special education, general education, inclusive education and on how to support young children who exhibit challenging behaviors.
Set 2 training sessions to gain ORO credits on various topics like the Pyramid Model, how to support children who have experienced trauma, and therapeutic play - to name a few!
an opportunity to meet community partners who can provide early childhood professionals additional support!
time to meet early childhood professionals from all over Oregon!
Conference FAQ:
How do I register for the conference?
To register for the conference, please go to this link!
How much is registration?
We have two registration prices: early bird and general.
Early bird registration is $40 and ends on April 14th.
After April 14th, general registration is $50.
Are there scholarships available?
Yes! Please contact Clackamas Child Care Resource and Referral for more information!
What happens after I register and pay for the conference?
You will receive a confirmation email with a link to register for your sessions! Registration for sessions are first come, first serve.
Will I receive ORO credit for the sessions I attend?
Yes! You have an opportunity to receive ORO credit for these sessions, however, you must register and attend them!
How do I get my certificate?
ORO hours will be submitted after the conference. If you would like a certificate, please contact Clackamas CCR&R at ccrr@clackesd.org after the conference.
When does registration end?
Registration will end some time in May.
What if I need accommodations during the conference?
We are happy to provide accommodations during the conference. Please send an email to ccrr@clackesd.org for any accommodation requests.
Note: If accommodation requests are sent after April 25th, we cannot guarantee that accommodations can be made.
Clackamas Child Care Resource and Referral looks forward to giving you a dynamic and powerful conference experience so we hope you will consider joining us this year! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at 503-675-4100 or ccrr@clackesd.org!

Note: Please do not respond to this email. This email was sent for informational purposes only. For transparency, the only languages the conference will be offered in are Spanish and English. We hope to provide more language accommodations in the future! Thank you!