25 & 26 May 2018 – Caulfield Racecourse
Brought to you by ELAA and Gowrie Victoria with our Gold Sponsor, the Victorian Department of Education and Training, the Conference covers a huge range of topics from the latest in advocacy to advance our sector to national early learning policy, research and best practice. There’s also:
- a trade fair featuring around 60 exhibitors with the latest in early learning products and services
- morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea on both days
- cocktail party on the Friday evening
- prizes
- fantastic opportunities to network with colleagues from across Victoria and Australia.
Largest program in the Conference’s history
This year’s Early Childhood Education Conference is the biggest yet with 78 presentations on offer. With a theme of Our Children – Our Communities some of the many highlights include:
Keynote Speaker
The Keynote Speaker for the 2018 Conference will be Children’s Ground CEO, Jane Vadiveloo. Jane’s work and background in leading advocacy, reform and service provision for First Nations children and communities complements the 2018 Conference Theme Our Children – Our Communities.
Jane Vadiveloo’s biography:
Jane Vadiveloo is the founding CEO of Children’s Ground. She has a Masters in Forensic Psychology and has a 20-year history leading reform and services provision with communities experiencing extreme disadvantage and trauma. She has lived in the Northern Territory for 19 years and has over 30 year connections with Arrernte people in Central Australia. In 2000 they founded Akeyulerre, one of the first organisations based on First Nations knowledge systems in traditional healing and wellbeing. She has worked with children, families and communities at high risk, establishing strength and justice based approaches to achieve long term change. She has worked with William Tilmouth for 15 years, culminating in the foundation and direction of Children’s Ground. Children’s Ground was created as a 25 year approach to ensure that future generations of children are afforded equity, access and justice to determine their futures – to have quality education, health, social and economic opportunities that privilege their first culture within a global context. Jane has consulted to Virgin Unite, the Northern Territory and Federal Governments, and Aboriginal Organisations in the Northern Territory. Jane was one of the Westpac Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence in 2014.
Concurrent Sessions
- Professor Deborah Brennan – co-author of the recently released ‘Lifting Our Game’ Report of the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools Through Early Childhood Interventions
- Rhonda Livingstone (National Education Leader, ACECQA) re Strengthening transition (to school) partnerships
- Jacqui Tomlins (re working with Rainbow Families)
- Associate Professor Warwick Teague (Royal Childrens Hospital) re the ‘critical numbers’ for parents, educators and carers for reducing injury to children in cars and in other risk based activities
- Shelli Hardwick (Wodonga City Council) re vulnerable children accessing and participating in universal and supported early years services
- Dr Catherine Wade (Parenting Research Centre) re Parenting Today in Victoria Survey
- Professor John Tobin (Melbourne University School of Law) re a “rights based approach” to addressing the needs of children in early childhood education.
- Sue West (Royal Children’s Hospital’s Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH) and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute) re the First 1000 Days project
- Melissa MacMaster & Samantha Kolasa (GEKA) re working with families and their children as part of a two-year journey prior to school
- Madeleine Smith (Quality Assessment and Regulation Division DET Victoria) re the revised National Quality Standard (NQS)
- Bron Alday (Sea Lake Kindergarten) re Stories in the Stars: creating lifelong links to community through Bush Kinder
- Dr Joanne Tarasuik (Playgroup Victoria) re the three-pronged approach of Playgroup … nurturing children, supporting families, and building communities
- Jenny Whelan (Albert Park Kindergarten), Victorian Minister for Mental Health – Martin Foley MP, WorkSafe Victoria and Marcela Slepica (Access EAP) – panel discussion on how the wellbeing of adult staff is supported in our early learning centres
- Plus, around 70 other presentations from expert early learning professionals.
View the full conference program
Don’t miss out on this premier professional development event for the Early Childhood Education and Care sector!
