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Children's Author Kimberly P. Johnson Headlines Early Childhood Conference at A-B Tech

Children's author and early childhood education trainer Kimberly P. Johnson will present two sessions at the Western Regional Early Childhood Conference May 15 and 16 at A-B Tech.

Nationally-known children's author and early childhood education trainer Kimberly P. Johnson will present two sessions at the Western Regional Early Childhood Conference May 15 and 16 at the A-B Tech campus on Victoria Road. A-B Tech students and faculty interested in early childhood issues are welcome to attend Johnson's keynote session May 16, Moving F.O.R.W.A.R.D. Toward Success: Charting a Bolder Course. The session, scheduled from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in Ferguson Auditorium, is open to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees should arrive by 1:15 p.m. There is no admission or parking fee, but attendees are asked to make a donation to the conference's scholarship fund. Admission is limited to the first 100 people who arrive.

Johnson is also presenting one of the featured sessions to conference registrants May 15. The session, Destination Imagination, will feature fresh ideas on how to motivate children and strengthen pre-reading and pre-writing skills.

Johnson has written 11 children's books, including The Adventures of the Itty Bitty Frog, The Adventures of the Itty Bitty Bunny, The Adventures of the Itty Bitty Spider and the Itty Bitty Mouse, Paperback Poetry Part 1, Paperback Poetry Part 2 (in English and Spanish and accompanied by a CD read in English and Spanish), Tag-Along Fred, Not Again, Mr. Cat and Teachers Need Tugging Too. She developed and helps fund a summer learning program for Head Start students that focuses on increased school readiness. She has appeared on The Today Show in New York City during a book signing for Children's Book Week and has been the guest speaker for local and national organizations, including Project Read to Me, Smart Start, National Reading Association and Head Start. She is also a celebrity reader for the Charlotte Bobcats Basketball Team on their NBA "Read to Achieve" all-star reading program.

Johnson graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a major in Communications Studies. She served as an intern for WTVD News Channel 11 and worked for the Durham Morning Herald and the Chapel Hill Herald newspapers. She earned an Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education and completed the Advanced Poetry Writing Program and Spanish IV at UNC-Chapel Hill.

The Western Regional Early Childhood Conference, sponsored by Channels for Child Care Advancement and Buncombe County Child Care Services, attracts more than 1,200 participants to the campus each spring. One of the largest training events of its kind in North Carolina, the regional conference offers more than 140 sessions on a wide range of topics. Infant-toddler teachers, preschool teachers, school-age program staff as well as childcare program administrators can benefit from the wide range of diverse topics. A-B Tech early childhood students and faculty and any students or staff interested in early childhood issues are encouraged to register. The conference program with registration form is posted at Childcare Advancement.

This marks the 18th year the A-B Tech campus has served as the conference venue. Laura Ellenburg, Conference Director, said A-B Tech administrators, faculty and staff play an important role in the conference. "We really appreciate the invaluable support of A-B Tech administrators and staff who assist with space, audio-visual needs and other behind-the scenes support. We are delighted to have several A-B Tech faculty and staff involved in the conference. Dianne Hughes, faculty in Early Childhood, is a member of Channels for Child Care Advancement's Board of Directors. Maura Schoen Davis, Student Success Advocate and Early Childhood Education Outreach for Buncombe County, and Beth Westmoreland, Director of A-B Tech Child Care Center, serve on the Conference Steering Committee.

For more information about the conference, contact Laura Ellenburg at Channels for Child Care Advancement, 686-3005, or e-mail conferenceplanning@msn.com.

Early Childhood Education

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