"Our Children-Our Future"
Policy, Practice & Professional Identity
Research Conference
IT Sligo
20th and 21st of October, 2011
The Early Childhood Care and Education sector in Ireland has witnessed a significant investment in infrastructure and key policy developments over the past decade. It is now timely that we collectively reflect on our journey to date, with the strategic objective of informing future strategic policy and practice direction for our sector. Our Children-Our Future conference will consider and debate the diverse facets of our role and relevance as carers, educators, policy influencers and practitioners
The conference hosts will comprise of Pedagogy Learning Education (PLé) Network of degree programme providers, the Irish Social Science Platform, IT Sligo, the Border Midland West region of County Childcare Committees. Minister Frances Fitzgerald TD will attend. The conference will be addressed by Minister Frances Fitzgerald TD and a number of keynote national and international speakers, workshops and plenary sessions focusing on three core themes: Early Childhood Care and Education Policy; Early Childhood Care and Education Practice; Early Childhood Care and Education Professional Identify.
Key Note Speakers include:
Professor Diane Levin: Wheelock College, Boston
Professor Shelia Greene: AIB Professor of Childhood Research at Trinity College Dublin
Professor Noirin Hayes Dublin Institute of Technology
Mr Fergus Finlay who is Chief Executive Officer of Barnardos
Professor Ronny Bruffaerts Associate Professor of Psychiatry, in the Department of Neurosciences at Katholieke University Leuven, Belgium
