Nearly 20,000 Educators Meet in Washington for Largest Annual Early Childhood Education Conference

Gathering of Early Education Professionals Provides Learning Opportunities

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 20,000 early childhood educators, administrators, and policy makers will gather this month for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Annual Conference and Expo. The Conference is the world's largest gathering of early childhood educators and widely recognized as one of the nation's most valuable professional development opportunities.

Special guest U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will help kick off the general opening session 4:30 to 6 p.m. Nov. 18 with his speech titled "The continuum of education begins at birth." The grand opening of the exhibit hall will follow. NAEYC President Sue Russell will also join Jacqueline Jones of the U.S. Department of Education and Joan Lombardi of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at the President's Seminar 10 to 11:30 a.m. Nov. 19.

"The NAEYC Annual Conference is an amazing opportunity for all early childhood professionals," said Mark R. Ginsberg, Ph.D., executive director of NAEYC. "The conference provides a unique opportunity to network with other professionals, learn about the latest developments in early childhood research, and strengthen teaching and administrative skills."

The NAEYC Annual Conference is designed for teachers and other professionals working with children birth through age 8. Participants will choose from nearly 900 sessions designed to improve knowledge of best practices in early education. All sessions are included in our final program, which is available online. Some of these sessions include:

• The economic value of early childhood in the United States: Are we investing adequately and wisely?
• Meet the authors and illustrators: Children's literature at NAEYC
• Lost boys and their failure to launch: Why the number of boys who are unmotivated and underachieving is growing
• The achievement gap: What will make the difference?
• Early childhood programs and family relationships: Bridging research, practice, and policy
• Caring for the caregiver: Taking care of yourself so you can better care for children
  

Also new this year is "YourSpace: A social networking site at NAEYC," which will give attendees a chance to learn more about using social media for professional development or in their classroom. NAEYC will also be tweeting during the event, so follow www.twitter.com/naeycAC and search the hashtag #naeycAC.

NAEYC would also like to thank all of our sponsors: Teaching Strategies, Kaplan, Hatch, Target, HighScope, Lakeshore Learning Materials, Walden University, Clorox, Community Playthings, Discount School Supply, Erikson, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Handwriting Without Tears, and Play Mart Playgrounds.

Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children has nearly 90,000 members worldwide. The association is the largest and most influential advocate for early care and education in the United States.

What: NAEYC Annual Conference & Expo
Who: Teachers and other early childhood experts from around the world
When: Nov. 18 - 21, 2009 - See Final Program for details
Where: Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt Vernon Pl NW, Washington, DC

If you are a member of the media and plan on attending the Conference, please email kgawrgy@naeyc.org.