Today’s children are tomorrow’s future, and as parents or caregivers it’s our job to influence their growth and development from day one through reliable, responsive and sensitive parenting.
Drawing on last year’s overwhelming success, parenting professionals are bringing back the popular Oregon Parenting Educators’ Conference to Oregon State University in May.
Hosted by the College of Public Health and Human Sciences’ Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families and the Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative, the annual one-day conference will be held in conjunction with Oregon Parenting Education Week. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed a proclamation declaring May 10-16 as Oregon Parenting Education Awareness Week to celebrate parents and their role as a child’s first teacher.
The 2015 Oregon Parenting Educators Conference, held 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday, May 11, at LaSells Stewart Center, will offer professionals who work with children and families the opportunity to advance their skills and network with fellow parenting leaders through a comprehensive event including more than 30 workshops and a keynote address by New York Times best-selling author and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson, PhD.
Tina speaks internationally to parents, educators, camp leaders and clinicians on how to help kids be happier, healthier and more fully themselves. Her research has explored attachment science, childrearing theory and the emerging field of interpersonal neurobiology.
“We are thrilled to have Tina Bryson as our conference keynote,” says Parenting Education Program Coordinator Denise Rennekamp. “Her work translates the latest research on child brain development into practical strategies for parents and professionals working with families.”
More than 325 parenting professionals attended last year’s event. To accommodate the expected high attendance this year, organizers have added more workshops covering topics including attachment, teen parents, brain development, safety, dual language learning for young children and more.
The workshops, intended to provide valuable information and practical application strategies that can be implemented in communities, will focus on the three parenting education core knowledge areas – human growth and development; parent, child, family and community relationships; and parenting education and professional practice.
Additional focus areas include home visitors, early childhood care and education, serving cultural or ethnic minority parents, and working with pregnant or parenting teens.
“This conference aims to provide professional development for a cross-section of professionals who work directly with parents,” Denise says.
The Monday event is $95 if registered by April 27 and $115 if registered after April 27.
A maximum of 5.5 Core Knowledge credits will be available through the Oregon Registry to participants who attend four workshops and the keynote presentation.
For those who are not parenting professionals but are interested in learning more about parenting techniques, the Linn-Benton Parenting Success Network is hosting a free public community forum from 6:30-8:30p.m. Monday, May 11, at the Corvallis High School Theater.
For more information, to register and to view content from past years, visit health.oregonstate.edu/opew.