Education students, faculty attend Building Blocks of Play conference

^{By: Andrew Mees, Director of Institutional Communications and Campaign Marketing                    communications@bloomfield.edu}

A group of Bloomfield College education division students and faculty received the chance to take part in one of the area's preeminent seminars April 11, as the collection of academics visited the annual conference “The Building Blocks of Play: Art, Books and Childhood” at New York’s Evelyn Rome Tabas & Daniel Tabas Auditorium.

Held in conjunction with the Bank Street College of Education, the event featured remarks from keynote speaker Linda Mayes, the Arnold Gesell Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Psychology at the Yale Child Study Center. The day’s activities also included a pop-up book workshop and appearances from authors and artists including Nina Crews, Robie Harris, Richard Lewis and Peter J. Reynolds.

The group - which consisted of seven students and three faculty members - was able to attend the event through grant funding made possible by the Elizabeth C. and. Archibald M. Palmer Jr. Annual Co-Curricular Innovation Grant Fund.

“This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to attend an event of this stature,” said education professor Joan Buzick. “Bloomfield College is highly regarded in the field of early childhood education, and it is important for our students to remain at the forefront of innovation in the field. We want to thank CCP and the Palmer Family for providing the grant funding necessary to give our students and faculty an opportunity we would not have been able to take advantage of otherwise.”

The education division at Bloomfield College combines classroom learning with real-world teaching experiences in early childhood, elementary, secondary and special education. In addition to tracks leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree, the institution also offers comprehensive post-baccalaureate teacher education programs in areas including subject matter specialization for elementary and secondary education and special education certification.

"I am very grateful for the grant that Bloomfield College provided that gave us the opportunity to go to the Building Blocks of Play Conference,” said education major Jada Pickett. “My peers and I got the chance to participate in hands-on activities throughout the conference and met notable authors of children's books. I learned a lot about how "play", plays a very important role in a child's early development. It was truly a wonderful experience.”

To learn more about Bloomfield’s education division, visit bloomfield.edu/academics/degrees-programs/education.