Ida Rose Florez, Senior Project Director for WestEd’s Center for Child and Family Studies (CCFS) and Vice President of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), will present at the White House Early Learning Research Symposium* on Wednesday, June 17, 2015, Erikson Institute, Chicago.

The Symposium, hosted by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, will gather national, state, and local leaders from the public and private sectors, as well as childhood education experts and practitioners for discussions on four key topics: STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) education, family education, dual language learning, and culturally relevant care and teaching in the early learning field.

Participants will hear about and join in discussions about relevant research, policies at local, state, and federal levels, and strategies and practices that are working for Latino children and their families, as well as for all dual language learners.

Ida Rose Florez will present during the “Culturally Relevant Care and Teaching” domain of the conference, in which speakers will address the following questions:

  • How do we strengthen cultural relevancy and competency in teacher and early care provider preparation programs?
  • What types of professional development and family engagement strategies and programs available to educators are resulting in better supports and services for Hispanic students?

Florez will talk about how her work with CCFS and the NAEYC has addressed these issues and then engage in a dialogue with audience members about what others can do to implement similar practices.

WestEd congratulates Ida Rose Florez for taking the opportunity to bring our work, specifically, that of WestEd’s CCFS program, to the national light at this event.

* This event is by invitation only.