BEMIDJI, Minn. – Registrations are now being accepted for the 30th Annual Early Childhood Mega Conference, hosted by the Child Development Training Program at Bemidji State University on March 13-14, 2008. Early registration for the conference is now open and runs through Feb. 29.

Mega Conference participants come from across Minnesota to attend educational workshops designed for individuals from Head Start, ECFE, ECSE, Learning Readiness, nursery school, public school and child care centers, as well as family child care programs. The Mega Conference is famous as “a marketplace of ideas for early childhood professionals and parents,” and a forum where individuals can gather and discuss issues vital to those who serve young children and families.

The conference will feature a March 13 keynote address, “Believing in Kids,” by Dr. Dan Gartrell, professor of professional education at Bemidji State University and a recognized expert in early childhood. His presentation will make you think and often smile. Gartrell is a nationally renowned early childhood speaker and has presented workshops and delivered keynote addresses across the nation. Gartrell writes a column for Young Children, a magazine published by National Association for the Education of Young Children. He also has authored four early childhood textbooks.

The conference will include workshop topics on guidance, mental health, wellness, supervision and many other early childhood issues.

Three tiers of registration are available for the conference – Thursday only, Friday only or a full two-day registration. Early registration for the conference ends Feb. 29, and is $95 for Thursday only, $85 for Friday only and $180 for both days. Registrations will also be accepted between March 1-7, but with an additional $5 charge for single-day registration and an additional $10 charge for the full two-day registration. No registrations will be accepted after March 7.

The registration fees include lunches and a Thursday evening social gathering with special entertainment. Lodging is available at a special conference rate at most Bemidji-area hotels.

The conference is also offered for one university semester credit with an additional fee for tuition.

The Mega Conference is co-sponsored by the Child Development Training Program and the Northern Minnesota Head Start Advisory Council.

Information on the Mega Conference and registration forms are available through the Bemidji State University Web site (http://www.bemidjistate.edu), or by contacting Cherry Brouwer, coordinator of the Bemidji State Child Development Training Program, at (218) 755-3779, toll-free at (888) 234-1305.

On the Web:
http://www.bemidjistate.edu/conferences/mega