All events relating to ECEC

The Society for Research in Child Development and organizers, Dr. Kofi Marfo from the University of South Florida and Dr. Alan Pence from the University of Victoria are pleased to announce a unique one day Public Symposium on 'Strengthening Africa's contributions to child development research'.

The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) was established in 1933 by the U.S. National Research Council of the National Academies of Science. Organizers received funding from SRCD to bring together scholars from diverse backgrounds to explore ways to support child development research in Africa and strengthen the continent's contributions to the global knowledge base on child development.

The Symposium is also supported by the Investigating Quality (IQ) project based at the University of Victoria and led by Drs. Alan Pence and Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw. The IQ project has undertaken a series of Symposia designed to broaden, deepen and critically examine discourses regarding early childhood care, education and development.

The symposium will feature presenters from around the world including Turkey, USA, Kenya, Mexico, Cameroon and Zambia.

There is no fee to participate in the symposium.

The Council for Early Child Development's national conference brings together national and international experts to discuss the connections between science, policy and practice in early child development.

Marginalized Youth and Contemporary Educational Contexts is part of a series of events focusing on collaborative community research as a systemic approach to changing front-line practice hosted by the Community Health Systems Resource Group (CHSRG) at The Hospital for Sick Children. This will be an interactive and dialogue-based public symposium. The three main key note discussions will include experts in marginalized youth culture, education as it relates to the lives of young people, and researchers/practitioners who work with and for young people in narrative and art-informed ways.

Key Note Panel and Discussions will include leading experts from Canada and United Kingdom including:

- Dr. Andy Furlong - Sociologist of Youth Cultures, University of Glasgow
- Dr. Bruce Ferguson - Director, CHSRG, Sick Kids and University of Toronto
- Ms Penny Milton - Canadian Education Association
- Dr. George Dei – OISE/ University of Toronto
- Dr. Michael Chandler -University of British Columbia, Distinguished CIHR & MSFHR Investigator
- Dr. Molly Andrews - Centre for Narrative Research, UK
- Dr. Katherine Boydell - Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto
- Dr. Ardra Cole - Centre for Arts-informed Research

The symposium will be hosted by Dr. Kate Tilleczek, Canada Research Chair in Child and Youth Cultures and Transitions at the University of Prince Edward Island and Research Scientist with the Community Health Systems Resource Group at The Hospital for Sick Children.

Both BC and international keynotes will be part of an exciting program that will include the celebration of ECEBC's 40th anniversary as the provincial organization for early childhood educators in BC.

Towards 2020 will bring 500 delegates and 40 speakers to participate in a ground breaking event that will consider the critical issues and opportunities that potentially impact on young people as we move towards the year 2020 and beyond! The conference will examine our collective roles and responsibilities and challenge us to shape a vision of the future that protects and improves the lives of our children. Towards 2020 is designed to involve participants in the generation of an action plan or blueprint for improving the way we work with, and for, Canadian children and youth.

Towards 2020 will move beyond the rhetoric and develop strategic action steps to improve the lives of young Canadians. It will also offer participants the opportunity to share promising practices and innovative approaches to child and youth well-being. Conference outcomes include:

- A greater understanding of the forces and influences that will impact on children and societal structures over the coming decade,

- An expanded awareness of the policy and practice implications,

- A living document and publication highlighting the key messages and recommendations from the dialogue and conference to guide future policy and practice development, and

- A set of priorities that serve as a call to action.

Description:

The conference will combine a thematic approach with case studies and workshops for sectoral application. The first day will offer panel discussions on major themes, such as:
• Meaning and interpretation of "Best Interests of the Child"
• Best Interests and the right to participate
• Best Interests and other articles in the Convention on the
Rights of the Child
• Use of the Best Interests principle in relation to groups of
children (i.e. as a tool of policy formation) as well as
individual children
• Best Interests in the context of Canada's constitution

The second day will be organized in workshops for in-depth dialogue on application of the principle in various areas, such as: health care, immigration, family law, youth justice, aboriginal issues, child welfare, education, and others depending on the level of interest.

Manitoba Child Care Association's 32nd annual conference is presented in association with the Canadian Child Care Federation.

Conference brochures will be available on the MCCA website at the end of January.

Confirmed keynote speakers include:

- David Elkind
- Dr. Debra Sullivan
- Adel Adams