2024 Virtual Home Visiting Symposium

The First Born® and More Home Visiting Symposium brings together professionals, researchers, and policymakers in the fields of home visiting and early childhood education and development. The symposium provides a forum for sharing information and best practices, and this year will focus on PLAY and its importance in early development.

 

The symposium is free and will provide attendees with the opportunity to learn from experts in the field and gain new insights and strategies for supporting families and building strong communities. The First Born® and More Home Visiting Symposium is the perfect opportunity to learn, grow, and make a difference.

Scroll down for session descriptions


Press the “REGISTER HERE!” button or scan the QR code.

2024-first-born-and-more-symposium-qr-code

2024 Virtual Home Visiting Symposium

The First Born® and More Home Visiting Symposium is an annual event that brings together professionals, researchers, and policymakers in the field of home visiting and early childhood education and development. The symposium provides a forum for sharing information and best practices, and this year will focus on Home Visiting with an Equity Lens.

 

The symposium is free and will provide attendees with the opportunity to learn from experts in the field, connect with colleagues, and gain new insights and strategies for supporting families and building strong communities. The First Born® and More Home Visiting Symposium is the perfect opportunity to learn, network, and make a difference.


Press the “REGISTER HERE!” button or scan the QR code.

2024-first-born-and-more-symposium-qr-code

Symposium Schedule

APRIL 22 – 26, 2024


APRIL
22
MONDAY
12:00-1:00PM
MDT

Early Childhood-Parent Play: Paths to Healthy, Secure Attachments

Learn new ideas to help caregivers include more play in their everyday interactions. Find out how play supports building healthy, secure attachments between parents/caregivers and children. Dr. Solchany will provide tools for engaging caregivers to better reflect on their interactions and to use their face time with more intention and awareness.
Dr. JoAnne Solchany
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Clinical Nurse Specialist in private practice

APRIL
23
TUESDAY
12:00-1:00PM
MDT

Playfulness for Parental Sanity

Play is a child’s language, but it’s not just children who need to play. Bringing play into caregiving can help with tough day-to-day moments, strengthen bonds within the family, and even help to maintain parental sanity! Mireya will show how you and your families can welcome play into adult life, what the play personalities are, and why play is a wellknown antidote to burnout in helping work like home visiting and caregiving.
Mireya Schumaker
Trainer for the Institute for Innovative Family Programs and former First Born® & More Home Visitor

APRIL
23
TUESDAY
3:00-4:00PM
MDT
Natane Lim
Co-Founder, Dancing Turtle LLC and Project Manager, Embracing Equity

Dance and Movement is Play!

Dance is a playful way to support the connection between caregivers and their little ones. This kind of movement does not have to be a formal lesson, nor do you need to be a “good dancer”! It should be joyful, engaging, fun, and stress-free. This is something home visitors can use as an activity to uplift young children and their families–even babies love to be held and dance. This interactive session with Natane will have you moving and laughing!

APRIL
24
WEDNESDAY
12:00-1:00PM
MDT

The Brain That Loves to Play

Dr. Harding will share in simple terms how the latest evidence-based brain research breaks down the division between play and learning and explains how billions of neurons bustle across the highways of our brains, choreographing the body’s thoughts and movements. Through short videos you will see how young children’s posture, body language, and facial movements change as they play and the stunning impact that has on the brain in terms of creativity and imagination. Actionable takeaways will be highlighted for sharing with families.
Dr Jacqueline Harding
International Child Development Expert

APRIL
24
WEDNESDAY
3:00-4:00PM
MDT

Play: The Brain Architect

When was the last time you played? Whether it was last week or last year, we all know how good play feels. It turns out, play is good for our brains too. Play is a fundamental part of our biology and essential to children’s brain development. Learn how to support a play environment that allows young children to explore the edge of their developing abilities. In turn, you’ll be able to help caregivers understand that playing with their child is one of the most powerful ways to support the child’s connection between their brain, body, and emotions.
Amelia Bachleda
Director of Outreach and Education, Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington

APRIL
25
THURSDAY
12:00-1:00PM
MDT

Rough and Tumble Play Through a Social-Emotional Lens

How does rough and tumble play build social-emotional skills? Children learn to negotiate, take turns, establish boundaries, and cooperate with others. Learn how to help caregivers feel comfortable providing opportunities for joyful and safe rough and tumble play in ways that meet the natural appetites of young children for risk, adventure, physical challenge, and connection to others.
Helen McDonald
Coordinator, Collaborative Teachers’ Institute and Classroom Teacher

APRIL
25
THURSDAY
3:00-4:00PM
MDT

Go with the Glow – Play and Beyond

We know that play supports healthy early development, builds relationships, develops key skills, and can even reduce stress. What we may not know is that play also helps build confidence, identity, and allows opportunities to take risks. Learn how to encourage caregivers of ALL children, including children who have developmental disabilities, to not only advocate for children but teach children to be advocates for themselves, allowing them to take the risks they need to be happy, confident, thriving children through opportunities to PLAY, PLAY, AND PLAY!
Anna Marie Garcia
Vice President of Early Childhood Education, LANL Foundation

APRIL
26
FRIDAY
12:00-1:00PM
MDT

Playful Perspectives: Unpacking Gender and Cultural Influences in Early Childhood Play

Explore how gender and culture impact young children and their play! Through engaging discussions, hands-on activities, and reflective exercises, participants will gain tools and strategies to create inclusive play environments that honor each child’s unique identity and play preferences. Come along on this journey to cultivate a sense of playfulness that goes beyond societal expectations, fostering a world where every child feels empowered to play in a way that feels right for them.
Lisa Kaplan Shaanan
Founder and Director of Education, Early Education Equity

APRIL
26
FRIDAY
3:00-4:00PM
MDT

Learning Math and Science Through Play

Play is an essential building block for all kinds of learning including math and science which is accessible even for very young children. Using simple everyday objects and materials, Victoria will demonstrate how to help children develop a strong appetite for STEM learning. Engage in a fun, thought-provoking session full of science activities integrated with literature and math which you can share with families in your home visits. We’ll take an inquiry approach to learning, actively exploring physical materials and questions to facilitate learning that will aid home visitors and caregivers in supporting science learning and literacy at home.
Victoria Roanhorse
Manager of the Coalition for Science Learning in Early Childhood at Explora


Press the “REGISTER HERE!” button or scan the QR code.

2024-first-born-and-more-symposium-qr-code

Staying Healthy

Information about how to stay healthy during pregnancy, including COVID-19, exercise, stress and depression, dental care, sex during pregnancy and more:

 

Things to Avoid (reducing the risk of birth defects and other things to avoid)

Information about how alcohol, drugs (prescription and illegal), smoking, caffeine, and other things can affect your pregnancy and baby:

Warning Signs

Information on conditions to pay attention to such as fatigue and nausea, anemia, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, Rh compatibility and more:

Nutrition

Fetal Development

Information on your baby’s week-by-week development during pregnancy:

2024 First Born® Home Visiting Symposium Speaker
Dr. JoAnne Solchany

Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Clinical Nurse Specialist in private practice

JoAnne Solchany, PhD, ARNP, IMHS is a Child and Adolescent Nurse Practitioner in Private Practice in the Seattle area. She provides Infant Mental Health Assessments and Psychiatric, Trauma, and Child-Parent Relationship Evaluations for private individuals, the State of Washington, and Federal Agencies. She offers psychotherapy and medication management from birth to adults. Additionally, she works with the courts as an Expert Witness and Consultant.

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2024 First Born® Home Visiting Symposium Speaker
Mireya Schumaker

Consultant and Trainer for IIFP

Mireya is a consultant and trainer for the Institute for Innovative Family Programs (IIFP) and worked as a First Born home visitor in Santa Fe for four years. Currently Mireya creates the First Born/IIFP newsletter and handles social media for the two organizations. She earned a bachelor’s degree in German Language and Literature from UNM. Now a mom of two, Mireya was also a nanny after college. She is passionate about creating healthy boundaries in home visiting and supporting staff to stay inspired and engaged in their role as a home visitor.

 

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2024 First Born® Home Visiting Symposium Speaker
Natane Lim

Co-Founder, Dancing Turtle LLC and Project Manager, Embracing Equity 

Natane Lim has worked in early childhood education for 23 years in various teaching roles and classroom settings, both in the Chicago area and New Mexico. She has been involved in community social justice work for two decades, starting as a youth organizer for a nonprofit in Chicago. She is dedicated to dismantling racism to instill a better future for all children. As a Project Manager, Natane leads Embracing Equity’s New Mexico initiative to transform education across the state. Natane takes much pride in the work for New Mexico because it is her home, it is where her daughter attends school, and where she and her husband Chris (Check-It) have the honor of teaching break dancing to young people in the community at their studio, the Dancing Turtle LLC.

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2024 First Born® Home Visiting Symposium Speaker
Dr Jacqueline Harding

International Child Development Expert, Middlesex University, England

Dr Jacqueline Harding, MA, Cert Ed, SFHEA is an international child development and education expert. She is a frequent speaker and author of best-selling books for parents, practitioners, and children. As an Honorary Visiting Research Fellow at Middlesex University she represented the UK in developing essential digital criteria and establishing best practices for broadcasters across Europe. Jacqueline pioneered and managed the Parentchannel.tv platform which was a groundbreaking film-based resource for parents and practitioners. She continues to work for children’s TV shows, such as Peter Rabbit, Teletubbies, Clangers, and Bing. Her latest book is called: The Brain that Loves to Play.

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2024 First Born® Home Visiting Symposium Speaker
Amelia Bachleda

Director of Outreach and Education, Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington

Amelia Bachleda, Ph.D., is the Director of Outreach and Education at the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences. Bachleda’s professional background bridges the gap between two distinct fields — education and neuroscience. She holds a Ph.D. in neurobiology and specializes in sharing the science of learning and development in actionable formats. She believes science is for everyone and loves bringing the latest research on learning and brain development to life in meaningful ways.

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2024 First Born® Home Visiting Symposium Speaker
Helen McDonald

Coordinator, Collaborative Teachers’ Institute and Classroom Teacher

Helen McDonald is passionate about nurturing children’s expressive languages as well as fostering their curiosity and love for the natural world. She honors children’s inherent joy and affinity for being outside, as well as the essential skills, self-knowledge, and creativity that are embedded in this experience. As a coordinator for the Collaborative Teachers Institute, she helps cultivate interdisciplinary, aesthetic inquiries based on the interests of children, families, and educators. Using a reflective process through the study of pedagogical documentation, CTI members work to make the complexities of young children’s creative processes and inquiries visible. Helen holds a BA in studio art and an MA from St John’s College. Other experiences include running a parent cooperative preschool for 11 years, working as a classroom teacher and college instructor, and spending a summer in France studying plein-air painting.

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2024 First Born® Home Visiting Symposium Speaker
Anna Marie Garcia

Vice President of Early Childhood Education, LANL Foundation

Anna Marie Garcia is LANL Foundation’s Vice President of Early Childhood Education. Having earned a master’s degree in early childhood/special education, she is presently pursuing a doctorate in early childhood social justice. Anna Marie is passionate about building and strengthening local communities through advocacy, education, and meaningful collaboration. Anna Marie has worked as a private consultant, offering training and guidance on early childhood and capacity-building topics. She’s also taught early childhood classes at both Northern New Mexico College and Santa Fe Community College. Along with her three sons, Anna Marie spent a year in the rain forests of Costa Rica, consulting at a bilingual school and developing an inclusive, special education program. In partnership with the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council, Anna Marie is spearheading an initiative to strengthen early childhood and family support systems within each of the Eight Northern Pueblos. This initiative will bring together a collaboration of early childhood partners to facilitate child, family, and community well-being in Rio Arriba County.

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2024 First Born® Home Visiting Symposium Speaker
Lisa Kaplan Shaanan

Founder and Director of Education, Early Education Equity

Lisa Kaplan Shaanan, MS OTR/L TMHP, is a thought leader and innovator in early childhood education and therapeutic intervention. Her work includes professional learning, coaching, advocacy work, therapy, and consulting to individuals, families, and institutions. Lisa is the founder and lead educator of Early Education Equity (www.earlyeducationequity.com). For 25+ years, Lisa’s work has focused on equity for children from a wide range of ethnic, cultural, racial, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds and diverse abilities.

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2024 First Born® Home Visiting Symposium Speaker
Victoria Roanhorse

Manager of the Coalition for Science Learning in Early Childhood at Explora

Victoria Roanhorse enjoys playing in the dirt, looking at insects and blowing bubbles with her five-year-old daughter, Lucille. Ms. Roanhorse is from Crownpoint, NM on the Navajo Nation. She has been in early childhood education for over 10 years. Victoria earned a BA in Psychology from the University of New Mexico and a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education from Arizona State University. Through her work at Explora, Victoria provides quality informal STEAM programs to schools and communities. Her experience in informal education has led her to embrace educating others about everyday and cultural science. She loves bringing the excitement of science, mathematics, art and engineering to children, families, and educators. Victoria believes in building community assets and views communities through a strength-based approach.

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