Paint the Town REaD (PTTR) Ltd together with our co-host, Paint the Blue REaD invite people interested in early literacy, children’s singing and collective impact in Aboriginal and/or mainstream practices to attend this Conference. We will be meeting on Darug and Gunungurra traditional lands.

Conference Key Note Speakers

Aunty Jacinta Tobin Songlines and Singing

Aunty Jacinta is a Darug Elder, Songwriter and Singer. She has worked in preschools to universities using music and her community worker background to educate all on Darug Language, songs and local Darug stories. Aunty Jacinta holds a Masters in Social Ecology.

Dr Marina Kalashnikova Mother-infant interactions and language development in the first years of life

BA (Summa Cum Laude) Linguistiics, MA Linguistics University of Texas at El Paso, PhD Psychology Lancaster University. Marina currently holds the position of Researcher in Infancy Studies and MARCS BabyLab Leader. Her work focuses on the projects Seeds of Literacy and HEARing CRC where she investigates perceptual and linguistic development in infants and children who are at risk for developing sensory (hearing impairment) or cognitive (dyslexia) impairments.

Kerrie Dominish Music and Singing to Support Language Development

Kerry is the CEO of EarlyEd Early Childhood Intervention Service and a Speech Pathologist with many years of clinical practice using music and singing.

Dr Amanda Howard Asset based community development and early literacy. Where to from here?

Amanda Howard is the Program Convener for Social Work at the University of Newcastle. Her areas of research include community development, with a particular focus on strengths or asset based approaches. Her PhD thesis was focused on the emergence of Asset Based Community Development as a new practice framework on the Central Coast, NSW. She is currently on sabbatical.

Conference Workshops

There will be workshop options for Aboriginal colleagues and community, librarians, early childhood educators, child and family workers, community development workers and policy makers and researchers.

The overview of the conference workshops can be downloaded here.

Preconference Symposium

In partnership with MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, there will be a Pre Conference Symposium 9.30 -11.30am Wednesday 3 May 2017. To be held at Western Sydney University, Room KW-O.1.09 (CLS), Kingswood campus, Second Avenue, Kingswood on Wednesday 3rd May. Registration at 9:30 for the 10.00 -11:30am Symposium.

You will need to park in a yellow parking space and purchase a parking permit ($7.50) from the machines located in the parking area. Blue and Red parking spaces are not available for general parking and can incur a fine if used. There may be on street parking available, but it may be a considerable distance from the building. See detailed map.

It will be a morning of rich content led by a group of post doctorate and senior PhD students on topics ranging from babies and hearing, language and SES/home environment and song.

This program is being facilitated by Prof Kate Stevens, Director of Research and Engagement, MARCS Institute.

Accommodation

Contact the Carrington Hotel on 02 4782 1111 for accommodation onsite at Conference rates.

For assistance with accommodation elsewhere, and tourist options contact Jennie Skinner the Conference travel agent at grangetv@bigpond.net.au