By Judy Clabes
NKyTribune editor
NKY’s innovative Learning Grove is presenting its cutting edge Breakthroughs in Early Childhood conference in Covington, featuring renowned experts from all over the country providing insight from four emergent research areas to a host of regional thought leaders.
In no other field is the gap between research and practice wider than it is between children development research and early childhood education.
Shannon Starkey-Taylor
Shannon Starkey-Taylor, Learning Grove’s CEO, aims to change that.
“We see this conference as a look over the horizon at what few researchers know but which millions of practitioners, parents, and policy makers will want to know and apply in the future,” Starkey-Taylor said.
She notes that the Innovation Lab at Learning Grove has done significant work on character science — including curiosity and love of learning — and that the conference is addressing four critical areas: anti-racist education, re-thinking trauma, family engagement, and developmental neuroscience.
She says that the conference has built on a 25-year-old-legacy of leadership that started with Learning Grove’s predecessor, Children Inc.’s innovative presentations of insights into early brain development.
Learning Grove provides 5-star rated early care and education in 14 centers across Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati, serving children ages 6 weeks to pre-K — while understanding that research shows that 90% of brain development occurs in those years.
Learning Grove also provides 18 on-site quality-rated School Age programs that focus on social emotional skill development and support school-day learning. It offers a Family Outreach Program, Coaching Assistance, an Advocacy Network, and NaviGo which completes the cycle to serve post-secondary students and provide career and college opportunities and workforce readiness programs.
So what’s going on at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center?
The answer: A full, rich conference with experts from around the country speaking to more than 200 regional and state thought leaders about “breakthrough” topics in early childhood education.
The experts covered anti-racist education and re-thinking trama on the first day and will deal with family engagement and developmental neuroscience in a full day today.
Once again, Northern Kentucky is leading the way on early childhood education and child development, thanks to Learning Grove.
Speaker/Experts participating in the ‘breakthrough’ conference
