America’s friendliest neighbor, Fred Rogers, may be gone, but his legacy lives on through Dr. Dana Winters’ work at the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media. As Director of Simple Interactions and Academic Programs and Assistant Professor of Child and Family Studies, Dr. Winters does important research on the power of human interaction between children and trusted adults. Colorado’s own Lieutenant Governor, Dianne Primavera, will introduce Dr. Winters as a keynote speaker for the 2019 Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference (RMECC) in Denver, Colorado on March 1, 2019.
Dr. Winters believes that building stable, committed relationships early on is vital to the healthy development of children. The power of human connection can occur between a child and any number of trusted adults, ranging from parents and caregivers, to educators and other adults in their lives. “It’s the main ingredient to healthy development in early years,” Dr. Winters points out. “Curricula and standards are important to consider as well, but even these are only beneficial when the goal of healthy developmental relationships is achieved.”
The Simple Interactions approach integrates Fred Rogers’ emphasis on building relationships, finding what ordinary people do extraordinarily well with children in simple, everyday moments on a day-to-day basis. Dr. Winters promotes this strengths-based, practice-focused approach in community-supported learning sessions across the nation. She points out that the approach ties neatly with one of Fred Rogers’ mantras, “Deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.”
Lt. Governor Primavera will highlight the state’s commitment to making quality early education accessible to families across the state. “Our administration is ready to tackle the many challenges facing early childhood professionals in Colorado. We want to make sure every child in Colorado has the tools to succeed, which includes supporting both families and professionals in providing early childhood care.”
Lt. Governor Primavera and Dr. Winters will kick off the conference in a morning keynote session. Throughout the 2-day conference on March 1 and 2, over 2,000 early childhood professionals, parents and caregivers, policymakers and business leaders will learn, share and connect at over 150 sessions in 10 comprehensive professional development tracks including child development and learning, inclusive practices, and early childhood mental health, among others.
The Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference (RMECC) is the region’s largest and leading early childhood conference. The conference provides early childhood professionals, business leaders, policymakers, parents, caregivers and other key stakeholders with top-notch keynote speakers, hundreds of workshops, exhibitors and networking opportunities. Visit www.rmecconference.com to find out more about this year’s workshops, exhibitors, and keynote speakers.
Source: 2019 Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference
