For more information, contact
Alan Simpson at 202-328-2605
or asimpson@naeyc.org

25,000 Educators Will Gather in Chicago to Discuss Improving Opportunities for Young Children

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 1, 2003 - More than 25,000 early childhood teachers and professionals will gather in Chicago this fall to work towards strengthening educational experiences for all children from birth through third grade. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Annual Conference and Expo - the world's largest gathering of early childhood educators - will be held at Chicago's McCormick Place on November 5-8, 2003.

"Participants at the NAEYC Annual Conference already know that the early years are fundamental to a child's successful development," said Mark Ginsberg, Ph.D., Executive Director of the NAEYC. "The conference provides teachers, administrators and advocates the chance to share ideas, learn from the experts, and raise the quality of early childhood education in their own schools and programs."

The NAEYC Annual Conference is designed for teachers and other professionals working in settings from child care and Head Start to prekindergarten and elementary school. Conference participants will choose from hundreds of sessions designed to strengthen their knowledge of the best approaches to high-quality early education. The sessions will cover a wide range of early childhood development issues, including infant care, social and emotional development, early literacy, support for families, school readiness, teaching in a diverse society, and outcomes of state prekindergarten programs. The conference will also feature a tribute to the life and work of Mister Fred Rogers.

There will be two day-long preconference sessions on Tuesday, November 4. A session co-sponsored by the National Association of Elementary School Principals will help principals build high-quality and developmentally appropriate experiences in their prekindergarten through third grade classrooms. A Teacher Education Faculty Workshop on Standards and Program Reviews will help college and university faculty who are preparing reports to document compliance with NAEYC standards for preparation of early childhood professionals.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children is the largest organization of early childhood educators and others committed to improving the quality of early education programs for children birth through age eight. Founded in 1926, NAEYC now has more than 100,000 members and a national network of nearly 450 local, state, and regional affiliates. NAEYC and its affiliates work to improve professional practice and working conditions in early childhood education, and to build public support for high quality early childhood programs.