Conference focuses on mind-body connection in early childhood education

June 27, 2018 | UHCL Staff

Conference focuses on mind-body connection in early childhood education

For the second consecutive year, University of Houston-Clear Lake will host the Healthy Beginnings Early Childhood Summer Conference July 7 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Organized by the Gulf Coast Chapter of the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children, the event is aimed at early childhood educators, Head Start, and other early care and education programs, as well as interested members of the community.

The keynote speaker will be best-selling author and radio host Holly Elissa Bruno, who specializes in emotionally intelligent leadership. Her speech, and the breakout sessions to follow,  will take place in the Bayou Theater, in Atrium I, and in designated classrooms within the Bayou Building, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Houston. Attendees will receive eight clock hours of professional development.

Along with the goals of the conference to promote healthy living, Assistant Professors of Early Childhood Education Amber Brown and Preeti Jain say hosting the conference at UHCL provides the opportunity to share with area early childhood educators the  various early childhood education degrees and opportunities at UHCL. The College of Education at UHCL has a vibrant early childhood education department and is a great resource to the community. Brown and Jain are also members of the Gulf Coast Chapter of TXAEYC Board.

“Texas AEYC is an affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, which is the key early childhood professional organization in the U.S.,” said Brown. “The Gulf Coast Chapter of this organization has a strong partnership with UHCL. Our focus this year is on the mind-and-body connection, which is often overlooked in our early childhood programs, but still plays a critical role in a child’s overall well-being.”

Jain, who also serves on the Harris County Public Health Healthy Living Matters Early Childhood/Out of School Action Team, works with other community partners to find ways to support healthy living and early obesity prevention in early care and education programs.  The Healthy Beginnings conference was conceived to support the goals of this organization.

Brown said that speakers in breakout groups would discuss movement in learning, how eating and stress affect the brain, and how fitness affects the brain. “We will also distribute a book about yoga for children, to help educators teach yoga activities and poses with children,” she said.

“We are very excited to have Holly Elissa Bruno, a nationally renowned motivational speaker, to empower our early childhood educators to become leaders in the profession,” Jain said. “This conference is unique because it focuses solely on early childhood health topics.”

Registration for the conference is $50 and includes the children’s yoga book and lunch. For more information about the conference, contact Amber Brown at 281-283-3627 or email browna@uhcl.edu.

For more information about the early childhood education bachelor’s and master’s degree programs at UHCL, visit www.uhcl.edu/education/departments/curriculum-instruction/early-childhood-education.

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