March 4, 2010

LAFAYETTE, La. – The University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the Cecil J. Picard Center for Child Development and Lifelong Learning will hold its state summit on early childhood education April 15-16 at the Cajundome Convention Center in Lafayette.

“This year’s summit is about discovering connections,” said Dr. Billy R. Stokes, executive director of the Picard Center. “Discussions will focus on aligning the success of early learning to key initiatives in our state, such as increasing high school graduation and postsecondary completer rates, decreasing childhood obesity, reducing Louisiana’s poverty rates, and improving the quality of the workforce.”

Dr. Craig Ramey, director of the Center for Health and Education at Georgetown University will discuss the successes and benefits of early education for all children, especially at-risk groups. Dr. Ramey led the distinguished Carolina Abecedarian Project, which examined the potential benefits of early childhood education on more than 100 children from lower income families from birth through 21 years of age.

President and Co-Founder of the Families and Work Institute and nationally recognized expert on work-family issues, Ellen Galinsky, will serve as the summit’s keynote speaker. She will present critical findings from her upcoming book, Mind in the Making, on the science of early learning and the seven life skills that will help children reach their full potentials in school, the workforce, and in life.

Afternoon breakout discussions on April 15 will offer stakeholders an opportunity to provide input and discuss solutions to maximize children’s success and achievement in school and life. Each breakout discussion will align early learning to a key topic or initiative in Louisiana, such as postsecondary education, poverty, workforce and children’s health.

On April 16, UL Lafayette President Dr. E. Joseph Savoie will lead a panel discussion with state agency leaders, addressing the suggestions, discussions and concerns from Thursday’s solutions-based breakout sessions.

“We invite anyone with a stake in Louisiana’s future to join us as we explore innovative approaches to expanding our state’s youngest minds,” noted Ouida Forsyth, birth to 5 project director at the Picard Center.

There is no registration fee to attend the summit, but participants must register. Online registration is available at www.picardcenter.org. For further information, please call the Picard Center at (337) 482-1567.

About The Picard Center
The Picard Center, named in honor of former State Superintendent of Education Cecil J. Picard, is dedicated to providing high-quality research and strategic evaluations of programs that address learning from birth through adulthood and investigates ways to bring scientifically-based research to bear on public policy in all areas of education, health, quality of life and workforce.

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