The 2016 conference is gearing up to be one of ECA’s best yet, with world-renowned field experts set to challenge and inspire you.
This issue of ECA Conference News is packed with essential information about early childhood awards, the AJEC symposium, speakers, sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, our sponsors, registration fees, call for papers and key dates.
Early childhood awards are now open
Early Childhood Australia’s prestigious awards are highly recognised within the early childhood education and care sector, acknowledging the valuable role that professional educators play in promoting and enhancing the delivery of early years learning. The award recipients are announced during the Early Childhood Australia National Conference, which attracts over 1200 educators and academics from the sector.
Early Childhood Australia Doctoral Thesis Award
Purpose The aim of the Doctoral Thesis Award is to:
encourage early childhood research
recognise the excellence of the early childhood research undertaken by doctoral students.
Applications close 31 March 2016
To download the Early Childhood Australia Doctoral Thesis Award application form, click here.
Barbara Creaser Memorial Lecture
Purpose The Barbara Creaser Memorial Lecture is awarded to a well-recognised and respected early childhood professional. The winner is invited to deliver a 30-minute lecture or presentation at ECA’s National Conference to the full conference delegation (typically around 1200 delegates).
Nominations close 31 March 2016
Nominations must be completed and submitted electronically via the online form—accessed here.
Barbara Creaser Young Advocate Award
Purpose The purpose of this award is to support the development of a young early childhood advocate and to encourage them to participate in ECA’s advocacy work.
Nominations close 31 March 2016
Nominations must be completed and submitted electronically via the online form—accessed here.
Conference registration fees announced
Fee type
Early bird (closes 30 June 2016)
Full rate (from 1 July 2016)
Full registration
ECA member
$810
$1,010
Non-member
$990
$1,190
Concession registration
ECA member
$415
$415
Non-member
$515
$515
Single day registration
Single day
$415
$415
These rates may be subject to change.
Australasian Journal of Early Childhood (AJEC)
research symposium, 5 October 2016
‘Whose knowledge is it anyway? Pushing the evidence base in early childhood research’
The AJEC research symposium is scheduled the day before the conference and all interested participants are encouraged to attend for opportunities to share innovative research methodologies, findings and research with cutting edge partnerships and collaborations.
The research symposium will be interactive and includes:
an invited panel of researchers who will offer provocations for researchers and interested stakeholders to discuss and question the theme
round tables of three research papers per session for sharing, discussing and debating research evidence, theoretical perspectives and methods
a Q&A forum to bring together the diversity of discussion and to develop a directed action agenda for research in Australasia.
Coming soon – a call for symposium papers for the round table sessions and more details of the symposium will be released soon. Abstracts will be peer reviewed by members of the AJEC publications committee, and authors of accepted papers will be invited to submit a full research paper for consideration in a special conference edition of AJEC to be published in late 2016.
We welcome participants including postgraduate students, academics, researchers and practitioners at all levels from around the world to come together to share cutting-edge knowledge and forge research networks in Australasia and beyond.
Announcing our keynote speakers—more to come …
Professor Carla Rinaldi
Adelaide Thinker in Residence 2012–2013 Professor Rinaldi is a world leader in education for children in the early years. She has been the President of Reggio Children since 2007 and is the first President of the Reggio Children-Loris Malaguzzi Centre Foundation. Carla is also a Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
Professor Rinaldi worked side-by-side with Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia Approach, from 1970 until his death in 1994 in the municipal infant toddler and preschool system of Reggio Emilia, where Carla was the first pedagogical coordinator.
Claire Warden B.ED (Hons)
Claire is an international educational consultant working across Australia, Canada, USA and Europe. Claire is the founder of Living Classrooms Charity MD Mindstretchers Ltd.
Claire’s approach to nature kindergartens has earned her international recognition as a pioneer in educational thinking. Her respect for children and families runs through the Floorbook approach that is used within nature pedagogy to incorporate children’s voices into intentional teaching. Claire Warden is one of the world’s leading consultants and writers on the use of consultative methods in education.
Associate Professor Susan Edwards
Susan Edwards is Associate Professor in Early Childhood Education at the Australian Catholic University, Learning Sciences Institute of Australia. Her research investigates the role of play-based learning in the early childhood curriculum.
Associate Professor Edwards has completed work as a lead Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant (2009–2012) titled ‘Examining play-based approaches to teaching and learning in early childhood education and care’. She is currently working as a Chief Investigator on two new Australian Research Council Discovery Grants (2014–2016; 2015–2017) investigating the role of play-based pedagogies in the provision of obesity and sustainability education in early childhood. Susan is also leading a project examining the use of digital technologies in the early years.
Call for papers
Your opportunity to present at the ECA Conference is here!
Applications to present at this conference are now open under the four conference themes: Inspire, Imagine, Create or Discover. Presentations can be either a stand-alone oral presentation or a traditional poster presentation.
To have the opportunity to join esteemed sector colleagues and present your chosen topic, simply submit your abstract online here.
All applications must be received by 5.00 pm 7 December 2015.
For additional information about the call for papers click here. For all other ECA conference information please visit: 2019.ecaconference.com.au.
Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities
We have had an amazing response from sponsors and exhibitors so far, who have already signed on for the 2016 conference. These may still be early days, but be sure to organise your role in the conference now, before your preferred sponsorship avenue or exhibitor’s booth location is no longer available. Things are moving very quickly.
If you are interested in exhibiting at the conference or would like more information about our sponsorship packages, please contact the conference office on 02 6242 1800 or download the Sponsorship and exhibition prospectus.
Subsidised booth initiative
ECA understands that exhibiting at the conference is prohibitive for some organisations. We recognise that some organisations may find it difficult to participate in the conference because of limited resources and/or long travel distances. To provide an opportunity and reduce barriers to participate at the 2016 Conference, ECA is offering a small number of subsidised exhibition booths, sponsored by Early Childhood Australia, to support organisations that otherwise would not be able to exhibit at the ECA Conference.
Modern Teaching Aids, often known as MTA, has been making a difference in Australian education for 60 years.
MTA offers over 11 000 quality education resources, working with over 100 of the world’s most well-known education brands and resource developers. MTA’s own-developed resources are created with the advice and input of educators and aligned with local curriculum. The scope of resources is huge—from babies to high school and across pretend and play, sand and garden, art and craft, maths, English, science and more.
Teaching.com.au offers easy online purchasing, personalised institution accounts, live stock availability and speedy service and fulfilment. MTA—your partner in play and education since 1956.
Other sponsors include:
Key dates
7 December 2015
Call for papers closes
Mid-December 2015
Registration opens
12 February 2016
Authors notified of paper acceptance
19 February 2016
Program at a glance released
26 February 2016
Registration brochure published on website
30 June 2016
Early bird registration closes
1 August 2016
Draft program published on website
Next edition
This newsletter will be delivered monthly in the lead up to the event. The next edition will include information on keynote speakers and other exciting updates.
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Early Childhood Australia (ECA) has been a voice for young children since 1938. We are the peak early childhood advocacy organisation, acting in the interests of young children, their families and those in the early childhood field. ECA advocates to ensure quality, social justice and equity in all issues relating to the education and care of children aged birth to eight years.
