Programs
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Kim Thomason at 540-320-3226 or kimbe74@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.
Lunch & Learn Conversations
On the 4th Wednesday of the month, noon- 1pm, Early Childhood Education Initiatives will host a "lunch & learn" on a variety of topics. These conversations will be facilitated in partnership with NRV CARES.
For questions about the class, please email Kim Thomason, Program Manager for Early Childhood Education Initiatives.
For additional information regarding parenting, please contact Keli Lichty, Educational Program Director for NRV CARES.
Choosing Quality Workshop
These seminars will be held via Zoom from 12-1pm on Thursday, August 1, October 3, December 5, February 6 and April 3.
During the 2024-2025 academic year, Kim Thomason, Program Manager for Early childhood Education Initiatives, will host a discussion-based seminar to support parents in choosing high quality early care and education that is a good fit for their family.
Past Programs
- Lunch and Learn - What You Need to Know About Raising a Child with a Disability: The Early Childhood Education Initiatives at Virginia Tech partnered with the Child Study Center at Virginia Tech to offer the 2024 version of the Lunch & Learn - What You Need to Know About Raising a Child with a Disability series. This year, the topics were:
- Organization, Time Management, and Planning Strategies to Get Your Child's Homework on Track
- Child Emotional Development and Strategies to Help Kids Manage Emotions
- Moving from Power and Control to Collaboration and Problem-Solving
- Organization, Time Management, and Planning Strategies to Get Your Child's Homework on Track
- How We Grow! Early Arts for Children and Families: ECE Initiatives in collaboration with Wolf Trap teaching artist Maria Tripodi presented a Zoom based interactive family event that guided children and families through movement experiences to engage with children’s literature and the work around them.
- Lunch and Learn with ECE Initiatives - What You Need to Know About Raising a Child with a Disability: Navigating Services and Creating a Happy Home: ECE Initiatives partnered with Heidi Hawkins, M.S., Ed.S. Licensed and Nationally Certified School Psychologist, to offer a view on parenting children and adolescents diagnosed with a disability.
- Lunch and Learn - School Readiness Happens at Home: With Cynthia Hutchinson, Ed.S, program director of the Excellence in Children’s Early Language and Literacy (ExCELL), we offered a session where Cynthia addressed how parents can promote language and critical thinking skills relevant to kindergarten readiness.
- Planning for Baby Seminar (for Faculty and Staff) - In partnership with Hokie Wellness.
For more information or questions about upcoming programs, reach out to Kim Thomason, Program Manager for Early Childhood Education Initiatives