CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The education of young children will be the topic at a public forum Feb. 25, the third in a series at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The forum, "Early Childhood Education in Illinois: At the Crossroads," will be from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the the Krannert Art Museum auditorium, 500 E. Peabody Drive, Champaign.
"Research suggests that good quality early care and education can increase children's school readiness and help them achieve their potential in school and in life," says Dianne Rothenberg, co-director of the Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting at Illinois and the organizer of the event.
In Illinois, the number of children attending state-funded pre-kindergarten programs has grown rapidly in recent years, early learning standards are being implemented statewide, and a new professional development system has been established, called Gateways to Opportunity, Rothenberg said.
The forum will explore the implications of these and other developments, as well as other issues related to early childhood education in central Illinois. Parents, teachers, administrators, university faculty and students, and anyone with an interest in education are invited to attend.
The event will start with presentations, followed by a panel discussion during which audience members can ask questions. Continental breakfast will be offered at 8:30 a.m.
The scheduled presenters are Kay Henderson, head of the Early Childhood Division of the Illinois State Board of Education; Lilian Katz, U. of I. professor emerita of early childhood education; Mark Obuchowski, professional development adviser coordinator for the Gateways to Opportunity project; and Margie Wallen, early learning project manager for the Ounce of Prevention Fund.
Joining the presenters for the panel discussion will be Susan Matoba Adler, U. of I. professor of education; Nancy Barrick Gaumer from the Child Development Program at Parkland College; Kathleen Liffick, Champaign County Head Start; and Jill Moore from the Early Learning Center in Champaign.
The forum series is sponsored by the university's College of Education and organized by the university's chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, a professional association for educators. Co-planners include Parkland College and the Champaign and Urbana school districts. Co-sponsors for the Feb. 25 forum include more than a dozen campus and community organizations.
Teachers and school personnel can earn CEU and CPDU credits by attending.
The last of the Phi Delta Kappa forums, "The Transition Into Adulthood," is scheduled for April 1.