Play in Difficult Circumstances – Mini Conference

A joint effort between Syracuse University, Pennsylvania State University, and Bloomsburg University, this conference emphasizes the promotion of developmentally and culturally appropriate practices in early childhood development and education by highlighting the interplay among risk and protective factors, child development, and early education in different ecological niches across the world. The conference aims to increase interdisciplinary understanding of the role of family, community, and educational practices in childhood development and to collaborate with institutions and agencies in the global south.

Presenters

Introductory Remarks: Dean Diane Lyden Murphy (Falk College, Syracuse University, NY, USA)

Play in Difficult Circumstances: COVID-19, Poverty, Refugee Camps
Dr. Jaipaul L. Roopnarine (Syracuse University, NY, USA) and
Dr. James E. Johnson (The Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA)

Poverty and Children’s Play in Kenyan Pastoralists Communities
Dr. John Teria Ng’asike (Turkana University College, Kenya)

Play in difficult circumstances in Jamaica
Dr. Suzette Kelly-Williams (Shortwood Teachers’ College, Kingston, Jamaica)

Play in Preschools in Guyana Pre- and During COVID-19
Ms. Abeeda Ali (University of Guyana and Ministry of Education, Georgetown, Guyana)

Cultural and Emotional Safety in Pediatric Healthcare: The Protective Role of Play
Professor Colleen Cameron (Syracuse University, NY, USA)

Virtual Play Programming in Therapeutic Settings During a Global Pandemic – Implications for Practice
Dr. Michael Patte (Bloomsburg University. PA, USA)

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Sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Science, Falk College, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, The Pennsylvania State University, and Elementary Education, College of Education, Bloomsburg University.

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