Welcome to the IPA USA 2024 Conference, The Right to Play, RIGHT NOW! To ensure ease in registration, here are a few tricks.
Once you have purchased your ticket for the conference, you will be directed to a Registration Form. This form is not just a document; it’s a key part of our planning process, and your participation is highly valued. Please complete it to help us track attendees for each of the special events.
To add the T-shirt or the Saturday Evening Celebration to your registration, click on the ’Reserve Tickets’ button and select the option/s you want to add on.
If you want to attend the Pre-Conference, please follow the link below to register.
PreConference Session – Wednesday, September 25 – 9:30-2:30 pm Connecting Children with Nature: A Practical Workshop for Educators Follow this link to register for the preconference——https://events.humanitix.com/connecting-children-workshop
Our session will focus on the role of environments and materials in playful inquiry. Building on the natural curiosities and propensities of children we will unpack various “intelligent materials” and their curation in creating interesting playscapes, or invitations for play. Highlighting the importance of observation and documentation as a means to supporting children’s play, the session invites adults into the child’s innate drive for play as a way of making meaning in and enjoying their world.
Jennifer is the Head of innovation and learning and Head of the Pre—School at Riverfield Country Day School, in Tulsa Oklahoma. She teachers graduate school courses in the Innovative Teacher Education Masters Program at University of Colorado, Denver. She has co- authored a book... Read More →
Ashley is an Assistant Head of the Pre-School at Riverfield Country Day. She has co-authored a book, designed and hosted professional development initiatives and speaks at a national level.
"Those of us that work with and for children KNOW what is best for children and yet we are so often left out of the conversations about what that means in our programs. This dismissal leads to burnout, developmentally inappropriate expectations and other issues. In this session you will learn effective strategies for communicating with lawmakers, local leadership, and others that impact our work. We will discuss the how to use “everyday advocacy”, storytelling, and collaboration as tools to improve support for early care and education. You will leave this session feeling empowered to make a difference where you stand and with tools to create positive changes. "
Kristy DeGraaf is a family childcare provider, trainer and childcare coach. Kristy started her career in social work and moved to Family Childcare in 2007 after finding it hard to locate good care for her own children. Kristy is passionate about PLAY, getting kids outside, and supporting... Read More →
Joey is a recent addition to the family childcare program that has been his wife’s passion for 16 years. In 2022 he resigned from his position in college athletics marketing to work with Kristy, focusing on program improvements and training other ECE and FCC professionals. His background... Read More →
This workshop type session will review the difference between process art and project art. It will focus on the importance of art as a process of learning for children versus product focused art. It can be extremely challenging for childcare providers to focus on the process art projects, especially when families tend to enjoy “Pinterest- type” crafts. There will be a demonstration of how process art makes you feel and think versus the art product experience. Participants will leave the session with a renewed understanding of the importance of including plenty of open-ended art process experiences in their programs.
Quality Designator, Early Learning Resource Center Region 6
I have worked in multiple settings with in the early childhood field. My passion for child development and early learning began with my first job out of college. I think it can be so easy to get stuck in rules, regulations, and paperwork that we can lose site of the valuable opportunities... Read More →
In the dynamic landscape of educational strategies, the incorporation of small world play stands out as a potent yet underutilized tool for literacy development in Early Childhood (EC) and Lower School (LS) settings. This interactive presentation seeks to illuminate the multifaceted benefits of integrating small world play into literacy instruction, offering educators a practical and imaginative approach to foster language skills, comprehension, creative writing and a love for storytelling among young learners.
Ellen Rhomberg is the Early Childhood Coach and Intervention Specialist at The Wellington School. She has dedicated the past decade to educating young minds in the field of early childhood education. Her experience spans across various age groups, ranging from 2 to 6 years old, and... Read More →
"Emeri Ferguson is Literacy Differentiation Specialist and Coach at The Wellington School. She has been educating young children for 14yrs. in many different capacities from daycare to upper elementary in both public and private schools. Emeri holds a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree from... Read More →
