| For Immediate Release: July 20, 2010 |
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Dr. T. Berry Brazelton inspires thousands at NAEYC’s National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development
Record number of early childhood professionals attended this year’s Institute, attendees say conference met their objectives
A record breaking number of early childhood educators, researchers, and other professionals attended the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) professional development institute, where a pioneer of pediatric medicine and child development—T. Berry Brazelton—gave a moving speech about the critical importance of interaction and emotional development beginning in infancy and the lasting effects they have in a child’s education.
The overall theme of the 19th National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development—“Emotional Intelligence: A 21st Century Skill for Children and Adults”—was a thread throughout the four-day event. According to an NAEYC survey, more than 92 percent of attendees said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the Institute, where about 2,300 early childhood professionals met.
Dr. Brazelton is a professor of pediatrics emeritus at Harvard Medical School and founder of Brazelton Touchpoints Center at Children’s Hospital in Boston. Dr. Brazelton moved the Institute audience into thinking very critically about understanding the level of emotional intelligence inherent in newborns and how that understanding affects the way we teach and nurture. The session followed up with a smaller conversation with attendees and Dr. Joshua D. Sparrow, director of special initiatives at the Brazelton Touchpoints Center. Attendees who saw the opening session with Dr. Brazelton and posted on NAEYC’s Facebook page called the experience a “joy” and “an amazing opportunity.”
The majority of survey respondents also said that they used the information at NAEYC’s Institute to share resources, strategies, and other information with colleagues; and to renew their enthusiasm and commitment in the field.
“We are so pleased that this year’s Institute was such a huge success for our association, our members, and the field,” said Jerlean E. Daniel, Ph.D., executive director of NAEYC. “The Institute confirmed our commitment to ensuring that social and emotional development is an essential part of cognitive development for children’s success in school, work, and life.”
NAEYC is also pleased to announce that Dr. Brazelton has already accepted an invitation to speak at the opening session of NAEYC’s Annual Conference & Expo Nov. 3-6 in Anaheim, California held in collaboration with the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI).
NAEYC would like to thank our sponsors—Teaching Strategies, PreschoolFirst, Robert-Leslie Publishing, and Constructive Playthings—for their generous support of the 2010 Institute. Next year’s Institute will be held June 12-15, 2011 in Providence, Rhode Island. For more information on NAEYC’s Institute or our upcoming Annual Conference, visit www.naeyc.org/naeyc/conference.
Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children has nearly 80,000 members worldwide. The Association is the largest and most influential advocate for early care and education in the United States.
