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 Presenter

Ashley Virtue has been with the National Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC) since 2005. She has been instrumental in the development and promotion of multiple mainstay programs at NCRC and has focused much of her career expanding NCRC’s work nationally and internationally. In recent years, Ashley has worked diligently to position NCRC as a global thought-leader in the field of conflict resolution. NCRC has appeared on hundreds of local, regional, and national media outlets, oftentimes with Ashley as the spokesperson. She has been featured in media outlets such as Forbes, The Washington Post, C-SPAN, NPR, PopSugar, and many others. Ashley has also helped expand NCRC’s reach to clients around the U.S. and abroad and has led hundreds of workshops. As one of the senior leaders at the organization, Ashley has also helped develop training curriculum and some of NCRC’s signature communication methodologies.

Ashley has received a number of awards recognizing her commitment to the community, including being a finalist for San Diego Magazine’s Woman of the Year and being honored as a “KNX Hero” by Los Angeles’ KNX 1070 News Radio station.

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

REGISTER NOW