2014 Childhood Conversations Conference

Conference is 2 months away ... have you registered yet?

The 8th Annual Childhood Conversations conference will take place
Saturday, March 29, 2014 at the Hartford-Windsor Marriott in Windsor, CT.

Breakfast, lunch, dessert, free parking, and conference materials will be provided.

Join us for a morning panel discussion, a choice of over 15 workshops and an interactive afternoon keynote presentation that will have everyone singing, dancing, and moving!

Be sure to get the early bird rate of $55 by registering on or before March 7, 2014.
 

Download the conference brochure
Register online

Scholarships are available. Click here for information.

If you are a vendor and would like to share information about your product click here to find out how to register.

Free Courses for After School Training - Get MOOC!

MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Courses

These Courses Provide Free Online Learning Opportunities
for you and your staff

MOOC (Massive Online Open Courses) provide free access to courses at many colleges and universities through online access. Coursera.org is a clearinghouse that provides access to courses, many of which are relevant to the field of after school and expanded learning. The selected courses highlighted here are a small sample of what is available, some of which include certificates of completion.

Stanford University: Child Nutrition and Cooking 2.0
https://www.coursera.org/course/childnutrition

Childhood obesity and healthy eating are issues currently facing children in after school programs. This five week module explores obesity, nutrition, health risks, and how to prepare simple, delicious foods that will help inspire healthy eating habits.

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Rice University: Inquiry Science Learning: Perspectives and Practices 3 - Science Content Survey 
 https://www.coursera.org/course/scicontentsurvey

This course focuses on helping teachers explore their own and their students’ misconceptions over a broad array of topics within science and engineering. The hands-on nature of after school programs is the perfect venue for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). The demands of the new workplace and the ready access to information afforded by new technologies have radically changed the way we define a scientifically literate society.

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Relay Graduate School of Education: Teaching Character and Creating Positive Classrooms  
https://www.coursera.org/course/teachingcharacter

This course explores key ideas of positive psychology and shows how great teachers apply those lessons to maximize student engagement and accomplishment. Through lectures, discussions, interviews and footage of educators in action, you’ll learn how to integrate character-based objectives into your own lessons.

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Museum of Modern Art: Art and Inquiry: Museum Teaching Strategies For Your Classroom 
 https://www.coursera.org/course/artinquiry

Explore how to integrate works of art into your classroom with inquiry-based teaching methods originally developed for in-gallery museum education. This course is designed to give teachers the tools to create meaningful object-based learning activities that can be integrated into a wide variety of curricula. We'll explore strategies that emphasize literacy, critical thinking skills and that connect across disciplines.

Find more free online courses at:
https://www.coursera.org/courses?orderby=upcoming&lngs=en&cats=education

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Director's Seminar Series

Join us for an engaging conversation and networking lunch January 24th

What do YOU need to bring YOUR program to the next level?

How do YOU connect with YOUR staff, parents, and community partners?

NEW for 2014 - Director's Seminar Series - Series I
 
Date:  January 24, 2014 (snow date January 30th)
Time:  10:00 - 12:30 
Lunch:  Provided from 11:30 - 12:30pm 
Location: Northern Middlesex YMCA, 99 Union St., Middletown, CT

Panelists:Michele Rulnick, CEO Northern Middlesex YMCA; Tracey Lay, Director, School Age Programs & Development Services, EDUCATION CONNECTION; Carol James, Childcare Director, West Haven Community House

This interactive panel session with experienced leaders from the field addressing:
-    the role of leadership in classroom and program management
-    creative staffing solutions
-    how to empower your staff and delegate without regret
Register now to learn how leadership helps forge partnerships, secure funding, and allows for flexibility with changing programmatic and funder demands.

For registration information, click here.

Want to help expand after school and summer opportunities for kids across Connecticut?

The Advocacy Task Force of the Connecticut After School Network will hold a planning conference call to prepare its strategy for the 2014 state legislative session.

Want to find out more? Join us on the call on Monday, January 13th from 11-11:30 am and hear about hot policy issues related to after school and summer programs, especially how we can increase the amount of state funding available for after school and summer grants!

Join Melanie Carfora, Task Force Chair, Michelle Doucette Cunningham, Executive Director of the Connecticut After School Network, and Judy Blei, lobbyist for the Network, on this important call.

If you'd like to participate in the work of the task force but can't make the call, please email Michelle Doucette Cunningham at mdc@ctafterschoolnetwork.org so we can be sure to include you in future emails.

Register now and the conference call phone number will be automatically emailed to you.

Bus Transportation to NAA in New York 2014

Need transportation to the
National AfterSchool Association Annual Convention in New York?

Farmington Extended Care & Learning is sponsoring bus transportation for people attending the National After School 2014 Convention in New York City February 27 – March 3, 2014!

There will be motorcoach shuttle bus service to/from Connecticut to the National AfterSchool Association 2014 Convention to be held at the New York Hilton Midtown, 1335 Avenue of the Americas in New York City starting on Thursday, February 27, 2014 - Monday, March 3, 2014.

Register for one way or round trip on the same or different days. Cost one way is $25; round trip is $50.

Bus pick up/drop off locations are Manchester, Farmington Town Hall, Education Connection (Litchfield), New Britain and Newtown. For bus routes and times please click here.

For more details and to register online visit their website at www.fpsct.org/fce or call 860.404.0112