Mel Gravely to Present at NHSA’s 30th Annual Parent Conference & Family Engagement Institutes

Mel Gravely will be presenting two topics at the NHSA’s 30th Annual Parent Conference & Family Engagement Institutes. The conference, scheduled for December 9-12, 2013, will focus on two cornerstones of the Head Start model, Shared Governance and Family Engagement. According to the NHSA, as the nation’s attention turns toward early childhood education with an intensity not seen since Head Start’s founding 48 years ago, it is essential to keep these two building blocks in every conversation about potential new systems.

Hope to see you there!

Tuesday, December 10, 2013
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
CONDUCING EFFECTIVE MEETINGS: NEW AND IMPROVED PARENT POLICY COUNCIL/COMMITTEES
Learning Block: Assessments, Planning, & Management

Parent Leaders and Head Start Staff who attend this workshop with will learn their governance roles and how to effectively conduct the business of their policy council/committee. This training will provide participants with a toolkit for success by providing the necessary equipment to build a strong working relationship with Head Start partners.
Learning Outcome #1: Recognize the roles of Head Start staff as well as parents to guarantee the success of the Head Start Program
Learning Outcome #2: To rebuild a sense of energy, motivation and confidence with parent policy council/committees
Learning Outcome #3: Provide an opportunity to create a solid framework to bring back to respective governance bodies to ensure program compliance with the Performance Standards

Wednesday, December 11, 2013
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
PROGRAM GOVERNANCE FOR SUCCESSFUL HEAD START PROGRAMS
Learning Block: Parent/Community/Family Engagement

Effective Head Start governing bodies provide support and direction to guide organizations. When parents are more knowledgeable about the contents of the Head Start Act, the likelihood increases that they will successfully make every effort to ensure that children receiving Head Start services are being properly developed.
Learning Outcome #1: Clarify federal regulations, definitions and interpretations to build consistency throughout the program
Learning Outcome #2: Provide technical assistance to Policy Councils, Parent Committees and Governing Bodies
Learning Outcome #3: Understand the concept of governance and how the roles associated with governance are distinguished from the roles associated with administration.
Learning Outcome #4: Demonstrate effective shared decision-making with the appropriate Head Start policy groups

About the Conference

NHSA’s annual Parent Conference and Family Engagement Institutes is the only national event to provide training and educational opportunities focusing on how parents, families and Head Start program staff can work together to promote parent and family engagement and children’s learning and development. This event, like no other, highlights and explores best practices for parent involvement straight from the programs successfully implementing them and provides hands-on training specifically designed for Policy Council chairs and members, as well as for Board members. We are also happy to include a wide array of commercial vendors in the conference exhibit hall, where attendees can find numerous innovative tools to support their work.

Tags: conferences, nhsa