We’re Joining Forces with NHSA in San Diego

We’re thrilled to announce that the National Head Start Association will be holding its Parent and Family Engagement Conference in California: on December 16-19, 2024 in San Diego. Rather than hold our Parent and Family Engagement Conference in February, just two months later, we are partnering with NHSA for their conference and encourage our Head Start community to join us!

HSC will be hosting two pre-conference workshops on Monday, December 16, 2024, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Please note: full conference registration is required to attend these pre-conference workshops  (you can add a pre-conference workshop to your cart at checkout for $300).

The goal of the Playground Safety Workshop will be to provide attendees with the information essential to establishing a Playground Safety Program at their locations. The Playground Safety Workshop will include a discussion of the key elements of a Playground Safety Program, including:

• Importance of a playground safety policy
• Playground equipment standards and what you need to know
• Playground safety inspections and what to look for
• Equipment and surfacing maintenance to reduce general liability
• The importance of documentation
• Dos-and-Don’ts of playground supervision

Your Presenter

Larry Vigil is a Senior Risk Manager with Poms and Associates. He is a lifelong New Mexican and a graduate of the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management. Larry began his insurance career in 1998. He has been with Poms and Associates since 2008, leading the Loss Prevention Team for the New Mexico Public School Insurance Authority. The Loss Prevention Team provides safety & compliance audits, plan review & development, and employee training programs to protect the insurance fund and its members from claims that could be prevented. He is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified School Risk Manager (CSRM), Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) and an Associate in Risk Management (ARM). Larry is also an Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Outreach Trainer and a National Safety Council (NSC) authorized instructor for Defensive Driving and First Aid/CPR.

It seems society is more divided than ever, and that tumult presents itself in our daily lives. As employees of Head Start, there is often an expectation to “keep the peace” when working with parents and families, even in the midst of dealing with difficult personalities. Sometimes, people who feel “wronged” are intent on venting their anger and they direct that towards front-line staff. This can be challenging when one feels personally attacked for something that they may or may not have control over. It’s easy to fall back on policy but oftentimes we see that an immediate explanation of the policy by the staff leads to escalation rather than resolution because needs are not being met. This interactive workshop, presented by Ashley Virtue, from the National Conflict Resolution Center, will help participants:

• see beyond the “complaint” to the underlying need of the other person;
• recognize the importance of solving problems with parents and family members; and think about how to respectfully respond to the emotions of others to achieve better outcomes.

Your Presenters

Dhalia is a first-generation Haitian-American social justice and educational equity advocate. She brings perspectives from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and specializes in strategic planning, conflict resolution and informing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) approaches. Dhalia is the founder of Balmir Inclusive, an equity-informed consulting business specializing in strategy, inclusive leadership coaching and deeper level racial equity dialogue. Dhalia is also the co-creator of Connected Conversations with our Youth, a virtual social justice camp, and host of the professional book discussion series, “Get Uncomfortable…Together.” She is passionate about focusing her energy on helping build connections and disrupting the “this is how we have always done things” in order to create innovative and inclusive solutions.

Dr. Bob Berk is the founder of New Table Consulting, a group that focuses on building capacity in individuals and organizations. After earning his degree in biology from University of California – San Diego, Bob began teaching students with emotional and behavior struggles in the Cincinnati area. This work led to Bob’s return to graduate school where he earned a PhD in Leadership and Policy Studies from Vanderbilt University. Over the next two decades, Bob worked as a school leader in both independent and public schools. His last position as a school leader was as the founding Head of School at Cypress Academy in New Orleans – a school that exemplified the best educational practices of a child-centered school, inclusive of a variety of learning styles and needs.

Currently, Bob focuses his work at New Table Consulting on helping mission-driven organizations improve their efficiency and success. He is particularly interested in the work of high performing teams, communication, and conflict resolution. As a National Conflict Resolution Center trainer, Bob specializes in training employee teams, community groups, and the education sector.

We hope you will plan to invite parents, family and staff to join us in San Diego on Dec. 16-19, 2024. 

REGISTER NOW