PASADENA, Calif., Jan. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pacific Oaks College and Children's School had much to celebrate in 2010, a year that saw significant achievements reflecting the dedication to social justice, inclusion, innovation and excellence that have been the hallmark of Pacific Oaks for over half a century. From popular parent education seminars at the Children's School to the College's 50th commencement ceremony, Pacific Oaks continues to define best practices in teacher training and early childhood education.
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"The College experienced significant growth in enrollment in 2010, and the Children's School has continued to benefit from very strong parent participation in its annual fund and other campaigns, even in this challenging economy," said Dr. Tamara Rozhon, president of Pacific Oaks College and Children's School. "Among our successes was the re-opening of the Salinas learning site last fall, and development of fully online master's and bachelor's completion programs in human development, both of which launched just last week. Pacific Oaks has managed significant change over the past few years, and our positive momentum reflects the collaboration and renewed enthusiasm of faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents, and friends."
Momentous Events and Celebrations
Pacific Oaks' Evangeline Burgess Lecture Series was back in April 2010, celebrating and honoring Betty Jones, Ph.D. on her retirement. Dr. Jones, who is now professor emerita at Pacific Oaks, spent 55 years on the faculty of the College. Nationally renowned as a leader in early childhood education, Dr. Jones is a sought after speaker and the author of several significant books on the importance of play in early childhood education, including "The Play's the Thing," (Teachers College Press, 1992). Dr. Jones' fascinating autobiographical lecture is available online.
The College held its 50th commencement ceremony in May, with 140 students receiving degrees and over 800 faculty, staff, family members and friends in attendance. The keynote speaker was Dr. Orlando Taylor, a national leader in graduate and professional education, former vice provost of research and dean of the Howard University Graduate School, and campus president at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Taylor offered a motivating address encouraging Pacific Oaks students to use the tools they gained at the College to "enhance the empowerment of the marginalized and the disenfranchised, increase understanding of the human experience and the cultures in our country and in the world…and eliminate the 'isms' that continue to plague our nation and the world… racism, sexism, ageism, 'colorism' and so on."
Meanwhile, the Children's School hosted a variety of parent education seminars, culminating in a seminar sponsored by several schools that featured Alfie Kohn, an internationally known author of 11 books on human behavior, education and parenting. Children's School Executive Director Jane Rosenberg noted that over 800 parents and teachers attended.
Faculty Scholarship
Pacific Oaks faculty continue to be thought leaders for educators throughout the country. The influence of the College is evident in the shear number of faculty and alumni presenters at early childhood education conferences in 2010. For example, over 10 alumni presented at the 2010 California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEYC) Annual Conference. Faculty presentations included:
- Susan Bernheimer, Ph.D., Practioner to Researcher: Enlarging the Circle, workshop and paper presented with Dr. Enid Elliot, Ph.D. (University of Victoria)
- Ruth Anne Hammond, M.A., Attachment Caregiving: How RIE's Educaring Approach Leads to Self-Regulation.
Pacific Oaks alumni offered many of the presentations at the 2010 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Conference, and Dr. Jones was one of three leaders in a seminar entitled Heroes on the horizon VII: A personal date with leaders from the field. Faculty presentations included:
- Regina Booze, Ph.D., Olga Winbush, Ph.D., and Cheryl Greer-Jarman, M.A., Developing appropriate classroom pedagogy based on the learning styles used in African American families.
- Susan Bernheimer, Ph.D., The Many Faces of Our Non-Traditional College Students: Addressing the Needs of Diverse Populations Entering Early Childhood Education, presented with Jing Babb, Ph.D. (Los Angeles Trade Technical College).
Dr. Bernheimer also spoke at the 2010 Reconceptualizing Early Childhood International Conference, and Laila Aaen, Ph.D., presented in October at the United Way Bright Beginnings Seventh Professional Leadership Development Forum for Early Childhood Directors.
Pacific Oaks faculty are prolific as always. Ruth Anne Hammond wrote the extremely well-received Respecting Babies: A New Look at Magda Gerber's RIE Approach (Zero to Three, November 2009). Trevor Dobbs, MFT, Ph.D., who teaches in Pacific Oaks' Marriage and Family Therapy program, published a book entitled Faith, Theology and Psychoanalysis: The Life and Thought of Harry S. Guntrip (James Clarke & Co, December 2009). Dr. Bernheimer is completing her second book, expanding on the concepts presented in her first work, New Possibilities for Early Childhood Education: Stories from Our Nontraditional Students (Peter Lang Publishing, 2003).
Finally, at the end of 2010 Pacific Oaks College and Children's School developed their first recommended book list for young children– a collaborative effort involving Anne Schiller, a long-time teacher (and parent and graduate) of the Children's School, and College faculty members Dr. Regina Booze and Cheryl Greer-Jarman.
Looking Ahead
Pacific Oaks has even more activity planned for 2011. The College recently opened two additional learning sites in Sacramento and Santa Cruz. Students began classes at those sites in late January.
The Burgess Lecture Series will begin on April 28 with Barbara Bowman, an early childhood education authority and advocate who is a founder and past president of the Erikson Institute and former consultant to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Faculty members are already slated to present at numerous regional and national conferences throughout the year, including NAEYC, CAEYC, and many others.
Voices, the magazine of Pacific Oaks College and Children's School, will launch in early spring, with faculty and alumni updates as well as in-depth articles and interviews on critical issues in education.
More robust alumni activities are underway at both the College and the Children's School. The Pacific Oaks College alumni association has been re-energized and a kick-off is planned in March at the CAEYC conference in Sacramento. The Children's School is also ramping up alumni activities: planning for a reunion and alumni scholarship begins in February.
The Pacific Oaks Family Reunion and Heritage Day is scheduled for April 29, 2011. This event will bring back and honor everyone who has been a part of the history of the institution, including alumni, trustees, donors, current and past faculty, College and Children's School students, and parents of Children's School students.
Particularly for alumni who have made lifelong personal and professional relationships at Pacific Oaks, the renewed activity is most welcome.
"I have a passion for the mission and vision of Pacific Oaks," said Suzanne Williamson, M.A., executive director, Monday Morning, Inc., and an alum and former adjunct professor in Pacific Oaks' distance education program. "When I was considering where to get my master's, almost every major book I read on early childhood education was written by Pacific Oaks faculty or alums. I'd attend the national early childhood conferences and the leading speakers—with standing room-only sessions—were Pacific Oaks faculty and alums. The strength of the College continues to be its ability to develop many of the most committed and passionate leaders in the field."
About Pacific Oaks College and the Children's School
Pacific Oaks College and the Children's School have played a crucial role in the development of early childhood education in the United States for over 50 years. Founded in 1959 by a small group of Quaker families, Pacific Oaks College is dedicated to the fundamental Quaker principles of inclusion, social justice, and the valuing of every human being. The College's faculty has developed innovative curriculum and tools that are widely used in early childhood and teacher training programs—both in the U.S. and throughout the world. Pacific Oaks is well-known for its leadership in curriculum based on learning through play, and for the ground-breaking anti-bias curriculum that has been implemented in schools throughout the country and is often required reading in early childhood teacher training courses.
An accredited non-profit institution, Pacific Oaks College offers bachelor's, master's, and certificate programs in human development, counseling, and teaching credentialing.
Founded in 1945, the Children's School is widely recognized today as one of the finest preschools in the Los Angeles region.
For more information, see www.pacificoaks.edu.
SOURCE Pacific Oaks College and the Children’s School
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