DENVER, CO--(Marketwired - Jan 11, 2016) - Two new additions, Montessori and the Colorado Department of Education, are included in the 16 professional development tracks slated for the 2016 Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference (RMECC) February 19-20 at the Colorado Convention Center. Also new this year, attendees can take part in up to seven of the Colorado Shines Level 2 courses. Available during Friday and Saturday Colorado Department of Human Services-Office of Early Childhood sessions, these face-to-face trainings include a variety of activities such as reflective writing opportunities, video discussion questions, or role-playing scenarios. Participants who complete this series over the two days will fully meet the Level 2 training requirements.
Now in its fifth year, the conference is designed to meet the professional development needs of early childhood practitioners while at the same time providing a forum for community advocates to learn, share and network. Other tracks at RMECC 2016 are administration/management, assessment, child development/curriculum, child health/well-being, coaching, family support, inclusion/cultural competency, infant and early childhood mental health, kindergarten, literacy/writing, policy/advocacy, STEM (science/technology/engineering/math) and Spanish. Attendees, who can earn up to six hours of ongoing training credits per day for a total of 12 hours, can use Quality Improvement Grant funds for the two-day conference; contact your local council for details.
One of the nation's premier forums for advocating and advancing early childhood education, RMECC 2016 is sponsored by the Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children, Denver's Early Childhood Council, and the Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance. The two-day forum aims to support and solidify the growing understanding of the importance of investing in our youngest children by bringing together a broad array of stakeholders, early childhood practitioners, business leaders and policymakers for dozens of workshops and presentations covering an extensive range of topics that impact early care and education.
RMECC 2016 registration is underway online and by mail; necessary forms are available at http://www.ecconference.com/registration. Online registration requires payment by credit card; payment by check may be made when using the mail-in form provided online. Early Bird rates -- $235 for both days and $130 for only one day -- are available until January 18, 2016. Also, RMECC 2016 is partnering with the Hyatt Regency Denver Convention Center to offer discounted rates, available until January 21, 2016, for hotel accommodations during the conference. For details and to book rooms, visit https://resweb.passkey.com/go/earlychildhood.
Bob Sornson, Ph.D., founder of the Early Learning Foundation, and University of Denver professors Douglas H. Clements, Ph.D., and Julie Sarama, Ph.D., will be the keynote speakers at RMECC 2016. "A Job Worth Doing" will be the topic of Sornson's February 19 address; Clements and Sarama will discuss "The Building Blocks of Mathematics" during their February 20 presentation.
For more information about RMECC 2016, including schedule and workshop details, visit http://www.ecconference.com/.
