Playcentre And Brainwave Trust Collaboration

MEDIA RELEASE
21 August 2007
New Zealand Playcentre Federation
For immediate release

Playcentre And Brainwave Trust Collaboration

The New Zealand Playcentre Federation is collaborating with the Brainwave Trust to build better futures for our children.

“Playcentre and the Brainwave Trust have the common aim of providing information and support for the carers of young children,” said Playcentre Federation Education Convenor, Viv Butcher. “We are really excited to be sharing expertise with them.”

The Brainwave Trust aims to raise public awareness about the amazing new findings in brain research, which emphasise the importance of early experiences on infant brain development; and to educate about the important implications of this knowledge. Playcentre supports parents by providing a comprehensive parenting education programme, and by running early childhood centres, staffed and managed by parents, as a nurturing community for families.

Twice a year education convenors and administrators from the Federation and the 33 Playcentre Associations around the country meet at a National Education Meeting, to support the delivery of the Playcentre Diploma in Early Childhood and Adult Education. At the most recent meeting, held at Lincoln University last weekend, Brainwave Trust speaker Miriam Caleb addressed the meeting.

Ms Caleb talked about the impact the first three years have on the developing brain and therefore on our society. She highlighted how important caring relationships with a primary caregiver are during this time for healthy brain development. In order to develop fully, babies need warm, loving, consistent, respectful care, from someone who is totally crazy about them!

“The National Education Meeting provides a forum for networking, consulting with the grassroots of the organisation on matters of importance, and professional development on a range of subjects such as child development”, said Ms Butcher. “The Brainwave Trust provides research information that is particularly useful for Playcentre educators.”
Playcentres provide sessional education to children aged birth to school entry age in 496 locations around the country. The learning programme in Playcentre is provided by groups of parents, who bring a wide range of experience and qualifications to their teaching. Playcentre Education, the Federation Team which Ms Butcher heads, manages and oversees the delivery of the Playcentre Diploma to support training requirements for running sessions. The Diploma is delivered by tutors in every association across the country. In 2006 over 4000 trainees were actively involved in the Diploma.

ENDS

© Scoop Media