NOTE — Please note the Wednesday, Feb. 25, registration deadline.
BEMIDJI, Minn. — Registration is now open for Bemidji State University’s 31st annual Early Childhood Mega Conference, held March 12-13 and hosted by the Child Development Training Program. Registration is open through Monday, March 9, but early registration at a discounted rate closes Wednesday, Feb. 25.
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 12 keynote address, “Giggle, Wiggle, Clap and Learn: Move Your Body and Your Brain,” by Jane Kitson, an author of over 350 original songs and fingerplays who has shared fast-paced, fun and interactive presentationw with more than 80,000 early childhood professionals during her career.
The conference’s closing session on March 13 will feature Kathleen Coudle-King, playwright and senior lecturer in English and women’s studies at the University of North Dakota. She will present “Make Room for You,” telling participants how to fuel themselves so they can keep on giving to others.
The conference will include workshop topics on guidance, mental health, wellness, supervision and many other issues.
Registration for the conference can be done for Thursday sessions only, Friday sessions only or both days. Fees for participants registering prior to Feb. 25 are $100 for each single-day session or $200 for both days.
Registrations will also be accepted between Feb. 26-March 9, but with additional fees. Registrations between Feb. 26 and March 4 will be $110 for single-day sessions and $220 for both days, and registrations between March 5-9 will be $120 for single-day sessions and $240 for both days.
Registration fees include morning and afternoon refreshments during the conference and lunch. Late registrations received after March 9 are not guaranteed to receive meals. The conference is available for one semester of college credit for an additional tuition fee.
The conference has established special lodging rates at most hotels in the Bemidji area; please contact the Childhood Development Training Program for more information.
The Mega Conference is co-sponsored by the Northern Minnesota Head Start Advisory Council.
Information on the Mega Conference and registration forms are available on the conference’s Web site (address below), 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