IPA USA 2024 RIGHT2PLAY, RIGHT NOW: Full Schedule

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.

If you wish to enhance your conference experience by adding a T-shirt or the Saturday Evening Celebration, you can do so by visiting this page: https://ipausa2024right2playnow.sched.com/?iframe=no

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

Looking forward to seeing you in Greenville, SC

Deb, President, IPA USA

9:30am EDT

What About Play? Pre-Service Teachers Views About Children's Play

Thursday September 26, 2024 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

A survey of undergraduate students enrolled in a university teacher preparation program in Texas investigated pre-service teachers’ general knowledge about play. Pre-service teachers were asked to define “play” and respond to open-ended questions about their future roles in supporting the play of children. Qualitative analyses resulted in the identification of four themes that defined play. Findings resulted in recommendations for teacher preparation programs.

Presenters

Elaine Zweig

Elaine Zweig is an Early Childhood Specialist with decades of successful experience working with children of all ages and grade levels. As a professor at Collin College, Texas Woman's University, and now, as an Educational Consultant, Dr. Zweig presented over 50 workshops at local... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2024 9:30am - 10:30am EDT
Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

Session

10:45am EDT

Intergenerational Play: Building Relationships and Promoting Hope and Healing - A Tribute to Dr. Klugman

Thursday September 26, 2024 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

"This presentation engages conference participants in a workshop on the value of intergenerational
play to heal early life trauma. Inspired by Dr. Edgar Klugman, this presentation describes the critical
role of play between the generations to address trauma experiences and engages participants in
intergenerational play activities."

Presenters

Dolores Stegelin

"Dr. Stegelin is Professor Emerita-Clemson U. and a Sr. Fellow with the Institute for Child Success (ICS) in SC. Her research focuses on intergenerational play, trauma-informed education, child assessment, and international ECE curriculum. She co-authored a book with Dr Edgar Klugman... Read More →

Jennifer Geddes-Hall

Dr. Jennifer Geddes Hall is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist. She has worked as a school counselor and child/adolescent therapist in diverse urban and rural community/school settings. Currently, Dr. Hall is an associate clinical professor working with... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2024 10:45am - 11:45am EDT
Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

Session

1:15pm EDT

Recess Advocacy: Who Gets Quality Recess and What can Be Done to Siupport Recess Equity?

Thursday September 26, 2024 1:15pm - 2:15pm EDT

Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

This session will explore the recent history of recess in the United States, the research on the effects of recess (or lack of recess), and evidence of discrimination in who does/does not get recess, some of which is reviewed in our recent book, Play and social justice: Equity, advocacy, and opportunity. Starting with a powerpoint presentation, I will present my own research on recess as well as more recent research on the benefits of recess. Also, I will review the status of state legislation on recess including the history of recess legislation and school board policies in Georgia. The session will end with a discussion of effective methods of advocacy.

Presenters

Olga Jarrett

Professor Emerita, Georgia State University

Olga S. Jarrett, PhD, Professor Emerita, Georgia State University (GSU). Science education, play research, evaluator. Former president of The Association for the Study of Play (TASP) and the American Association for the Child’s right to play (IPAUSA), Editor of PlayBlast. Co-editor... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2024 1:15pm - 2:15pm EDT
Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

Session

2:30pm EDT

Seeing the Elephant Inside the Boa Constrictor

Thursday September 26, 2024 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

Much like the drawing of the elephant inside the boa constrictor from The Little Prince, play does not always look like much to adults. This workshop on decoding and documenting play will explore the deep and meaningful ways children are developing their cognitive, social/emotional, physical, and language/literacy skills through self-directed play. Participants will practice making observations, documenting growth, and brainstorming what they would like to share about play with parents, teachers, and school administrators.

Presenters

Laurel Turnquist

Parenting Educator, Kids Who Play

Laurel Turnquist holds a Master's in Education and is a former preschool teacher turned play advocate. Passionate about early childhood development, she educates parents and caregivers on play's critical role in the lives of all children. Through her workshops and classes, she empowers... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2024 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

Session

3:45pm EDT

Partnering with Families to Advocate for Play

Thursday September 26, 2024 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT

Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

Before we can do anything in the classroom, we must first work to create strong, respectful and reciprocal relationships with the families of the children in our care. Partnering with families and bringing them on board with the work we do in the classroom is pivotal in solidifying a strong foundation of love, care and developmentally appropriate practices for young children. Families can serve as strong advocates for their children and in turn for the field of early childhood education. Providing opportunities for families to have a deep understanding of what childhood is and what our children need and deserve in the early years of their life can be tricky. In this presentation I will discuss strategies that can support relationship building with families and what a true partnership looks likes between families and school, how to include families in the process of planning for the classroom and how this leads to a meaningful and impactful relationship between parents and the school.

Presenters

Samantha Deal

My name is Samantha Deal and I am an Early Childhood Consultant working in Atlanta, Georgia.I am a dedicated Early Childhood Educator with experience spanning two decades. Throughout my journey, I have had the privilege of working closely with infants, toddlers, and their families... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2024 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT
Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

Session

9:15am EDT

Building Bridges: Creating Play Partnerships Between Home and School

Friday September 27, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am EDT

Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

Teachers are often the people that families count on for information about their young children. Our session will focus on communicating the importance of play for young children to families. The information presented will provide strategies for innovative, yet easy-to-implement, at-home play experiences. Discussion will also include creative play partnership activities to build home-school relationships and sympathetic ways to meet resistance or lack of interest from families. A packet of information and activities will be available for participants as well.

Presenters

Sharon Jackson

Consultant, Curating Play

Dr. Sharon R. Jackson is an early childhood advocate and seasoned professional with presentations for international, national, state and local conferences. Retired from over 20 years in a school district Early Education program, Dr. Jackson now consults with programs nationwide and... Read More →

Beverly Alford

"Beverly Alford, PhD is a staunch advocate for play. An Associate Professor of Early Childhood, her focus is on children, birth to seven years. She is fascinated by how children develop in play-based settings and the effects of standardized practices on children. Her background is... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am EDT
Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

Session

10:30am EDT

Risky Play: Going Beyond Climbing Trees and Jumping

Friday September 27, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT

Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

"The session will begin with a short review of the scholarly definition of risky play, including Sandseter’s categories. The session will then move to a presentation of original research showing that teachers can influence the safety of risky play and the development of risk management skills through conversation and relationship building. The research participants’ experiences will be used as examples of how the session participants can build relationships with their own students. Before a time for participant questions, there will be a time to examine real life risky play scenarios to practice what kind of conversations might be started with students.
"

Presenters

Joanna Spotts

Lead Preschool Teacher, First Roots-Wild Roots

Dr. Joanna Spotts has been an educator for 20 + years. She has taught in a variety of classroom situations including an inner city charter school and a rural one room school house. Dr. Joanna has been a teacher at an nature based child care for 6 years. Her favorite part about teaching... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

Session

11:45am EDT

Unleashing the Power of Play: Deep Dive into the Barron Park Approach

Friday September 27, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT

Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

This interactive workshop delves into the philosophy and practices of Barron Park Playschool, a beacon of play-responsive learning in California. Building on the shared belief in the power of play, we will explore a play-responsive approach that fosters creativity, ignites innovation, and sparks meaningful inspiration in young children and the adults who serve them.

Presenters

Kim Adams

Today We Play - Barron Park Preschool

Kim Adams is a passionate advocate for play. With over 35 years of experience leading and teaching in early learning environments, Kim offers a deep understanding of child development and the transformative power of play and creativity. A certified Positive Discipline educator and... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

Session

2:00pm EDT

Why Adults Need Outdoor Play as Much as the Kids: Attitude Adjustments are Required!

Friday September 27, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

We always think children need outdoor play the most because it's essential for their physical and brain development, BUT many adults today have not had play opportunities as children and now are faced with unhealthy, stressful lives. This presentation will focus on the adult angle and how to change behaviors of a culture, not just a person to physically move, get outside, sleep uninterrupted, and eat smart. These concepts are challenging, but the LiiNK Project team has been studying what it takes to change these adult behaviors in order to be effective with children. These strategies will be shared and practiced.

Presenters

Debbie Rhea

Professor, Texas Christian University

Deborah Rhea, Ed.D. is professor of Kinesiology and founding director of The LiiNK Project at Texas Christian University. She is an author, researcher, motivational speaker, educational consultant, and behavior change trainer. LiiNK (Let’s inspire innovation ‘N kids), a recess... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

Session

3:15pm EDT

Bridging the Knowledge to Practice Gap: Playing all day in New Zealand Classrooms

Friday September 27, 2024 3:15pm - 4:15pm EDT

Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

Unlock the power of play! Join Dr. Sarah Aiono as she takes you on a journey through New Zealand classrooms that have fully embraced a 'play all day' approach for children aged 5-12. Experience firsthand the dynamic shift in education as we showcase captivating video footage and share practical, real-world examples of how play is revolutionizing learning. Discover how you, too, can harness the magic of play to ignite creativity, foster deeper learning, and create a joyful, engaging environment for all students. Don't miss this opportunity to see play in action and leave with innovative strategies that you can implement right away!

Presenters

Sarah Aiono

CEO, Longworth Education

Dr. Sarah Aiono is an international speaker, coach, teacher, researcher, author and one of Aotearoa New Zealand's leading play pedagogy experts. She has extensive experience as a classroom teacher, having taught students from all year levels, with a particular focus on those with... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2024 3:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
Children's Museum Rm Big Idea UPPER LEVEL

Session

IPA USA 2024 RIGHT2PLAY, RIGHT NOW

From $20.00