Early Childhood Training Initiative
Background
Allen Creek Preschool’s Early Childhood Training Initiative is a workshop series designed in 2006 to offer early childhood providers a consistent approachto topics central to best practices. The collaborative group discussion format, led by Michelle Graves, Allen Creek Teacher, and Kerry Kelly Novick, Allen Creek Child Development Director, includes handouts with suggestions on each topic. Participants engage with both the joys and challenges of educating and caring for young children and their families. Hours of attendance can be used toward State required Continuing Education units.
Our Workshop Facilitators
Michelle Graves came to Allen Creek in 2004 with 22 years of experience as a High/Scope Educational Consultant. She is a well-respected leader and author in early childhood education. Kerry Kelly Novick is a founder of Allen Creek Preschool and brings to the Early Childhood Training Initiative over 40 years of experience as a child, adolescent and adult psychoanalyst. She is a well-respected author and was a past finalist for Ann Arbor Citizen of the Year in 2002.
About Allen Creek
Allen Creek Preschool is a non-profit organization founded in 1994 to support the healthy development of children from birth to age six. Allen Creek strengthens parents’ capacity to grow with their children through education and support. In this sense, Allen Creek is a school for young children and their parents. Our growing scholarship program makes it possible for families of limited financial means to attend Allen Creek’s 7 on-site programs for children ages birth to 6 and their parents or primary caregivers.
Techniques shown to be effective at Allen Creek are spread through our trainings. The premise of this work is that, in order to foster the growth of the whole child, teachers and caregivers need to understand that children’s behavior has meaning. Meaning is signaled in feelings, actions, and words. Teachers and caregivers can play a critical role in nurturing young children’s growth and development. Through helping children learn how to understand and modulate their feelings and behaviors teachers can increase their overall classroom effectiveness. In addition to our ECTI, Allen Creek offers a parenting discussion series free and open to the public called “Intentional Parenting.”
New in Academic year 2008-2009
This academic year, Allen Creek will be offering trainings on Monday afternoons AND Friday afternoons. Monday trainings will be held at Allen Creek and Friday trainings at several member agencies/schools that are centrally located. Members can attend any and all of our trainings, including those off-site.
Registration and Payment Information
Instead of charging fees for each training session, Allen Creek established a membership fee structure in 2006. Affordable membership dues give an agency or program the opportunity to send any number of its teachers to all Allen Creek trainings, those held at Allen Creek Preschool and those held at other locations. An individual membership is also available. We think that membership is critical to the success of this program because it offers the community of members a direct voice in the content and evaluation of trainings and discussions. We aim to include everyone in our trainings. Please talk with us if your center is experiencing serious financial difficulty and cannot afford to pay the membership fee at this time.
To register for individual workshops: Please call Allen Creek Preschool at 994-3382 or email us at: allencreekpreschool@yahoo.com. We ask that you please make an effort to register one full week in advance of the training, though we can normally accommodate late registrants.
To join as an agency member or individual member: Please complete the attached form and send it with your check to Allen Creek. If you need us to invoice your agency or school, please let us know and we will be happy to do that.
Experience an Allen Creek Training at No Cost!
We invite centers to try an Allen Creek training before they make a decision to join as agency or individual members. When registering for that first training, please let our office staff know that you are interested in joining, but wish to attend a workshop before you make that decision.
What ECTI Member Agencies Have Said About Our Trainings:
- Allen Creek has done a fabulous job of raising the bar for quality in our profession!
- I love these trainings. The presenters are knowledgeable and have great information.
- Many of the suggestions are practical and easily implemented.
- Great topics, there was a variety for all areas of development!
- Thanks for starting this. Great way to network with other educators!
