Eighth Annual Keefe-Bruyette Symposium on Early Learning in Math and Science on Monday, March 15, 2010
The School for Young Children at Saint Joseph College will host its eighth annual Keefe-Bruyette Symposium on Early Learning in Math and Science on Monday, March 15, 2010.Focused on “Investigation and Inquiry of Math and Science for Young Children,” the day-long symposium draws early childhood educators from throughout the state who participate in workshops led by their peers. The Keefe-Bruyette Symposium on Early Learning is made possible by the generous support of Gene F. Bruyette H’04, P’81, Kathleen Barry Bruyette ’49, H’04, P’81, the late Harry Keefe and his wife, Anita Keefe, long-time education philanthropists. In addition, Saint Joseph College is pleased to announce that Farmington Bank will sponsor scholarships totaling $1,500 to fund the participation of 20 employees from the Brighter Futures Family Centers to attend the March 15 symposium.
This year's featured keynote speaker is Cheryl Charles, Ph.D.,an educator, author and organizational executive who has demonstrated throughout her career a lifelong commitment to the importance of getting children into the outdoors for their health, success and happiness. She will present "The Ecology of Hope: Reconnecting Children and Nature" which will focus on the growing disconnect between children and nature. As president of the Children and Nature Network (C&NN at www.childrenandnature.org), which she co-founded with author Richard Louv in 2006, Dr. Charles helped launch a new campaign, Leave No Child Inside, inspired in part by the exceptional response to Louv’s newest book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2008). Dr. Charles holds a B.A. from the University of Arizona, an M.A. from Arizona State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Washington. She served for nearly 20 years as national director of the two most widely used environmental education programs in North America – Project Learning Tree and Project WILD, receiving numerous awards for her leadership. Dr. Charles’ most recent book, co-authored with her husband, Bob Samples, is Coming Home: Community, Creativity and Consciousness (Personhood Press, 2004). She has been listed for many years in the Marquis Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the West.
In addition to the keynote address, participants at the Keefe-Bruyette Symposium select a morning and afternoon workshop from an expansive menu. Topics include: Exploring Math in the Great Outdoors; Science Activities to Nurture Young Children's Interest in Their World; Bring the Kitchen to the Classroom; Exploring Shapes in Space with the Frogonauts; Ye Olde Toyworks - Toys that Teach; and much more. Registration is required. The price of the morning session, which includes Dr. Cheryl Charles' keynote address, morning workshop and lunch, is $60. The afternoon session, which includes lunch, the afternoon workshop and a tour of The School for Young Children, is $60. Full-day price is $75; full-time students pay a discounted fee of $50.
To register, contact Diane Morton, director of the School for Young Children, at 860.231.5565 or dmorton@sjc.edu or Sue O’Donnell, teacher/grant coordinator at 860.231.5561 or sodonnell@sjc.edu.
