Touchdown in Cowtown: Scoring Big in Early Childhood Education
The Fort Worth Chapter of Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TXAEYC) hosted their first sold-out conference on Saturday, February 6 at Tarrant County College- Northeast Campus. Over 100 attendees, 4 speakers, and 14 vendors participated in the event.
The conference was tailored for early childhood educators, professionals, and child care owners/ directors in Fort Worth and its surrounding areas. Ontara Nickerson, President of the Fort Worth Chapter, shared that “it's been a long time since we were able to come together as an early childhood community in Fort Worth, TX. When our board got together, we wanted to bring back a platform for early childhood education professionals to come together to build community, enhance professional development and improve collaboration. And together we decided what better way to get everyone together than to host a conference in Cowtown.” The conference provided professional development, continuing education credits, resources, and networking opportunities for TXAEYC members and guests. The theme of the conference was: Touchdown in Cowtown: Scoring Big in Early Childhood Education
Renowned experts in the field captivated the audience with their insights. The sessions focused on joyful classroom, navigating challenging behaviors, turning a new leaf with thorny conversations, and learning & growing in nature. The speakers are Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System (TECPDS) registered trainers. TECPDS manages the Texas Trainer Registry, which is a statewide system that approves early childhood trainers and their trainings. Trainers listed on the Texas Trainer Registry have gone through an approval process in order to obtain their status as a “Registered Trainer”. If using a Registered Trainer approved by TECPDS, you can rest assured that the trainer meets the minimum licensing standards trainer requirements set by Child Care Regulation (CCR). You are also able to search for specific training topics and look up the contact information for trainers who offer the types of trainings you seek. Registered trainers are required to uphold a set of qualifications which include early childhood expertise and experience, and knowledge of adult learning theories and principles. If you would like to become a registered trainer or you would like to search for specific trainers/trainings, please visit https://public.tecpds.org/.
The Tarrant County College Child Development Program, Camp Fire First Texas Early Education Apprenticeship Program, and Early Learning Alliance (ELA) were proud partners for the conference planning. The Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus was the “partner highlight” of the event. They opened doors to host the conference at their campus in which allowed for their staff and students to attend for the first time. Lisa Self, Department Chair of Child Development and Education, said that “we were so happy to host the venue for the FWAEYC Conference on February 3. We had several of our students volunteer for the event. These students are earning an Associate of Applied Science in Child Development.” For more information about the Child Development Program, please visit https://www.tccd.edu/academics/courses-and-programs/programs-a-z/credit/child-development/#program. ELA sponsored a table for our members of the Alliance to learn, connect, and collaborate with other early childhood professionals within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
Attendees enjoyed the networking experience and learning resources and services in early learning provided by the vendors. Providing space to network at this conference was important because it allows attendees to connect with like-minded professionals, share knowledge, and build valuable relationships. In addition, it’s a great opportunity to exchange ideas, collaborate on projects, and potentially find new career opportunities. Having vendors at the conference is crucial as they provide valuable resources, services, and products related to the [early childhood education] industry. The vendors at this conference provided the opportunity to offer attendees tools, technologies, and solutions that the early childhood professionals can enhance their workplace.
“It’s great to hear from attendees that they found value in connecting with other professionals and exploring the offerings at the event.”-Rebecca Rueda, Board member of the Fort Worth chapter.
Attendees raved about the event and expressed their desire for it to become an annual tradition. The chapter is actively planning events and trainings for 2024. To learn more about the chapter and/or be part of the action, please email ftworthchapter@texasaeyc.org.
