More than 400 educators who work with young learners in the region gathered for a day of learning on October 11th at the annual Early Childhood Education and Behavioral Health Fall Summit. The event was organized by the Blue Mountain Early Learning Hub and Umatilla-Morrow Head Start and held at EOTEC (Eastern Oregon Trade and Events Center) in Hermiston. It was sponsored by Oregon Department of Human Services and Greater Oregon Behavioral Health.
The day began with keynote speaker Dr. Amy King, a psychologist from Newberg, Oregon, who provides training, consultation, and education. She works with professionals to help create resilient children and thriving families, guiding them to heal their stress and trauma through connected relationships. King talked about the ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), but also about the Health Outcomes From Positive Experiences (HOPE), a public health framework that focuses on promoting positive childhood experiences (PCEs) to improve health outcomes. The framework is based on the idea that positive experiences can help children develop into healthy, resilient adults.
King said that everybody has a “suitcase” of stresses and adversities they carry with them, but that resilience can be taught. She said students who have even just one safe, stable adult in their lives can succeed. “Your connections with children and families matter and being present for them makes a difference,” King said. She also shared that a positive impact on children ages birth to five years old can be the most powerful and she thanked the educators in the room for the work they are doing.
Participants in the summit then chose different breakout sessions to attend. Dr. Michael Schwartz led “Defining and Promoting Safety in Early Childhood Spaces.” He said more children today are experiencing anxiety and depression due to increased screen time, more demands on parents, trauma and isolation of the Covid pandemic and sometimes lack of parenting skills. Schwartz shared research about the brain and nervous system and how children learn when they feel safe. He said using various calming techniques, establishing positive behaviors and reinforcing desired behaviors can help educators in the classroom.
Allison Whisenhunt, LSCW, led the session “The Resilient Leader” where she encouraged employees to have compassion and connection with each other and to incorporate fun into the workplace. She said part of being an effective leader is to provide necessary training, resources and individualized support. “Try to know your team members individually and understand their motivations and needs,” Whisenhunt said. She also emphasized having an attitude of gratitude at work and in life, which can have a positive impact on physical and mental health.
Marissa Loiland is the Director of the Blue Mountain Early Learning Hub and the West Zone Early Learning Services Director at InterMountain ESD. Loiland said the goal of the Fall Summit each year is to provide more tools and resources for educators who work with young children. “In addition, having the ability to bring a national speaker to Eastern Oregon provides a unique opportunity for agencies and staff to enhance skills and more effectively serve young students within our community,” Loiland said.
Participants at the summit included employees from IMESD’s Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) program, Head Start and OCDC (Oregon Child Development Coalition). Feedback from some attendees was:
“it was brilliantly organized"
“amazing and well run”
“this one was top notch!”