SOU to Offer Professional Development Opportunities for Early Childhood Development Professionals

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Building on priorities set by Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber and the Oregon Education Investment Board (OEIB), Southern Oregon University will provide professional development opportunities for early childhood education professionals throughout the region in early 2015.
Professors Younghee Kim and Erin Wilder, faculty leaders within SOU’s Early Childhood Development program will work with the OEIB-sponsored Early Learning Hub and others to offer a Jackson County Association for the Education of Young Children professional development conference during the 2015 winter term.
Additionally, during the 2015 spring term, Professors Kim and Wilder will work with Central Oregon Community College to offer a similar professional development conference in central Oregon. “Our ECD program is recognized throughout the state as a leader in the training of early learning providers,” said Dr. Steven Thorpe, interim director of SOU’s Division of Education, Health, and Leadership. “These conferences will be very positive for early childhood professionals throughout our region and for the children with whom they work on a daily basis.”
Participants will have the opportunity to earn professional development credits, which are mandatory for many early childhood education professionals.
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About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University provides outstanding student experiences, valued degrees, and successful graduates. SOU is known for excellence in faculty, intellectual creativity and rigor, quality and innovation in connected learning programs, and the educational benefits of its unique geographic location. SOU was the first university in Oregon—and one of the first in the nation—to offset 100 percent of its energy use with clean, renewable power, and it is the first university in the nation to balance 100% of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.