• Investing  in early childhood  makes solid economic sense.  A study by the Federal Reserve Bank reports that every $1 we spend on quality early learning education pays returns of $7-$17.   
  • 85% of the human brain is developed by age 5. 
  • 20% of today’s workers are functionally illiterate.  Early childhood development programs prepare our children to become adults who are literate, employable, and productive citizens. 
  • Virginia spends approximately $90 million annually on children who repeat grades K-3.
  • 1 in 4 children in the Shenandoah Valley enter school not ready to learn.

7th Annual Early Childhood Leadership Summit

Tuesday, March 13, 2012
8 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
JMU Festival Conference and Student Center

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Our mission is to ensure that all children ages birth to five years old are ready to enter school healthy and prepared to succeed. You are invited to join community leaders from Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro and Rockingham, Shenandoah, Augusta and Page counties to work collaboratively and creatively toward this end.  

Summit Goals:

  • Gain an understanding of key elements of early childhood systems and how young children can benefit from increased partnership and collaboration
  • Strategize how partnerships focused on early childhood development can be facilitated with business leaders, in educational settings, in the health care arena, and among diverse cultural groups
  • Determine proactive and specific ways to collaborate with and support the work of Smart Beginnings
  • Provide a forum for networking among early childhood service providers, academicians, business and community leaders centered on the common initiative of early childhood readiness

Tentative Agenda

8:00   Sign-in, Continental Breakfast, and Networking

8:30   Welcome & Summit Overview

8:45   The Real Winners When Communities Undertake the Hard Work of Systems Building and Collaboration
Dr. Tammy Mann is the President and CEO of The Campagna Center, in Alexandria, Virginia. The Campagna Center serves over 1,700 children and operates a range of early childhood, school age, youth, and family development programs. For over 20 years, Dr. Mann has worked in the nonprofit sector in agencies devoted to improving outcomes for minorities and low-income and children and families. At the outset of her career, she worked on the frontlines as a psychologist, providing home visiting services to low-income pregnant women and families with children under three. Dr. Mann also served as Deputy Executive Director at ZERO TO THREE, a national nonprofit organization that focused on translating research to practice for policymakers and practitioners to benefit very young children. Dr. Mann has played an active role in shaping the field of early childhood development through numerous service opportunities. She was recently appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to serve on the Advisory Committee for Head Start Research and Evaluation. She has addressed national and international audiences as a noted speaker and authored books and articles on a wide variety of issues in the field of early childhood education and development.

10:15   Break-Out Sessions

11:45   Annual Report + Lunch

12:30 Facilitated Table Discussions

1:15 Table Reports, Next Steps and Wrap Up

Registration Information

Registration Fee: $22.50 paid in advance with online registration. Register Online on or before February 13, 2012.

$32.50 paid after February 13, 2012
(includes $2.50 processing fee)

Upon registration you will receive an electronic confirmation letter.

Registration Deadline: Early Bird – February 13, 2012
Regular - February 29, 2012

Parking: Parking is allowed in JMU Convocation Lot F. Buses will be available to shuttle participants to the Festival Center and back between 7:30 AM and 2:00 PM.

For More Information, Contact:

Alysia Davis, Coordinator
Smart Beginnings Shenandoah Valley
James Madison University IIHHS
davis4am@jmu.edu or 540-568-8968