What: East Valley parents, early childhood educators are invited to absorb the expert knowledge of renowned Early Childhood Learning expert and Director of Early Childhood Education for JCCA (Jewish Community Centers Association) Mark Horowitz. Horowitz will present Cooperative Learning through Play, a short discussion about the benefits of play in physical development, academics, social emotional learning and current research on the subject. A Q&A session and open house with the East Valley Jewish Community Center’s Early Childhood Learning Center will follow. With more than 60 years of collective experience teaching young children, the JCC’s NAEYC-accredited early childhood program offers its own knowledgebase to the community. Teachers will open their classrooms for questions and further discussion following Horowitz’s presentation.

Who: Mark Horowitz was the founding executive director of the Jewish Early Childhood Education Initiative. He holds a master’s degree in education from SUNY Buffalo and received his investiture and an honorary doctorate in music from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He is a frequent speaker on early childhood topics around the country.

Hadassah Baldinger is the East Valley JCC’s Assistant Executive Director overseeing the Early Childhood Learning Center, a staff of 30 and more than 150 children, among other duties. She has nearly 40 years of early childhood teaching experience, and has been a member of the JCC’s staff since 1972. With her longevity in the community, Baldinger now sees some of her former students returning to enroll their children in the program. She will be available to answer questions throughout the evening.

When:  Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.

Where: East Valley Jewish Community Center, 908 N. Alma School Rd., Chandler, AZ 85224

Why: “Parents can be conflicted about the value of a curriculum-based early childhood education,” said Baldinger. “We know from years of study, and I know from my personal experience, that children who have a strong educational foundation early in life are more likely to go on to excel in life. Cooperative Learning through Play will discuss the importance of play in establishing an eager, inquisitive mind in children for years to come.”