Skip to main content
close
Font size options
Increase or decrease the font size for this website by clicking on the 'A's.
Contrast options
Choose a color combination to give the most comfortable contrast.
Image for event: Inspired Early Childhood Educators Symposium

Inspired Early Childhood Educators Symposium

2025-08-15 09:00:00 2025-08-15 16:00:00 America/New_York Inspired Early Childhood Educators Symposium Join us for a special event designed for early childhood educators and librarians. Earn free professional development credits, network with others, and gain new information and resources. Main Library - Atrium

Friday, August 15
9:00am - 4:00pm

Add to Calendar 2025-08-15 09:00:00 2025-08-15 16:00:00 America/New_York Inspired Early Childhood Educators Symposium Join us for a special event designed for early childhood educators and librarians. Earn free professional development credits, network with others, and gain new information and resources. Main Library - Atrium

Main Library

Atrium

Join us for a special event designed for early childhood educators and librarians. Earn free professional development credits, network with others, and gain new information and resources.

Free Ohio Professional Development Opportunities Throughout the Day

Educators may earn up to 4.5 credit hours from the Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association.

9 am–noon
Wonderful Play! Using Music to Support Early Childhood Development
Featuring award-winning children’s musician Mr. Jeff

1–2:30 pm
Additional breakout sessions hosted by the Early Childhood Resource Center
All Around Literacy or It Begins With a Book

Registration information and training details can be found below.


Other Educator Events Throughout the Day

8:45 am–1 pm
Collection Development will showcase the new 16 Skills for Success collection

10 am–6 pm
Sign up for your special Educator Library Card

10:30 am–4 pm
Free Book Giveaway: Load up a box or two to take back to your students
While supplies last

10:30 am–4 pm
Educator Lab Open House

Noon–3 pm
Dial-A-Story Recording Studio: Teachers are invited to be guest readers for our Dial-A-Story service

12:15–12:45 pm
Tech Zone Tour

12:15–1 pm
Lunch & Learn: Reggio Emilia-Inspired Teachers Discussion Panel
Stop in anytime during the session

2:45–3:15 pm
Tech Zone Tour

Training Registration & Information

Educators may earn free credit hours from the Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association. Register ahead of time at registry.occrra.org, sign in, and search for the training ST number. Registration is only required for educators seeking Ohio-approved credits. A registration and information table will also be available on the day of the event.


Training Descriptions
Wonderful Play! Using Music to Support Early Childhood Development – ST10155104
Kids learn best through play—and music is one of the most powerful play tools we have. Mr. Jeff, a dad of three, former preschool teacher, and award-winning children’s artist behind the album "Wonderful Wonderful Wonderful", will lead educators and librarians in this engaging, interactive, and creative professional development.
Attendees will learn how to implement music activities as transition tools and brain breaks to support classroom attention and management. Participants will leave with strategies for using books, puppets, props, and movement to enhance accessibility and engagement for all learners, while aligning with the Ohio Early Learning and Development Standards.

All Around Literacy: Tools and Strategies to Enrich the Preschool Classroom – ST10155044
Participants will explore tools to assess literacy in their environment and gain strategies for integrating literacy throughout all areas of early childhood education.

It Begins With a Book! – ST10155045
Participants will interact with peers, instructors, and samples of exemplary children’s literature to develop actionable plans for implementation in their work settings.


All sessions are designed for early childhood educators and librarians and are not intended for children.

For questions or inquiries, contact Laura McFalls at 330.643.4846 or email lmcfalls@akronlibrary.org.

AGE GROUP: | Adults |

EVENT TYPE: | Education |

TAGS: | |

Main Library

Phone: 330.643.9000
Branch manager
Michael Bianchi

Hours
Skip Opening hours widget
Mon, Oct 20 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Tue, Oct 21 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Wed, Oct 22 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Thu, Oct 23 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Fri, Oct 24 10:00AM to 6:00PM
Sat, Oct 25 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Sun, Oct 26 1:00PM to 5:00PM

About the branch

Main Library, located in the heart of downtown Akron, combines compelling public space with meaningful and relevant public library services for all members of our community. Since opening in 2004, the downtown library welcomes more than one million visitors each year.

Subject divisions include: Business, Government & Science, Culture & AV, Magazines & Newspapers, Special Collections (local history & genealogy), TechZone@Main, Teen, and a 12,000 square feet Children's Library.

Special services available at Main Library include: a Patent & Trademark Resource Center; U.S. Passport and Notary services; a Microbusiness Center; a Maker Space; a resource lab for early childhood educators; and regularly scheduled computer training classes. Also available at Main Library are more than 125 public access computers, color photocopiers/printers, laminating, scanning, faxing, and free Wi-Fi.

Specialized spaces include a 425-seat auditorium, public meeting rooms, and a used bookstore. An interior glass block walkway leads to a 600-space parking garage owned by the City of Akron. An outdoor amphitheater and landscaped park complete the complex.

Upcoming Events

Skip Upcoming Events widget
Mon, Oct 20, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Teen Meeting Room

Mon, Oct 20, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Meeting Room 1

Tue, Oct 21, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Wed, Oct 22, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room
This event is full

Wed, Oct 22, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Children's Library Programming Room

Thu, Oct 23, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room

Thu, Oct 23, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Thu, Oct 23, 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Thu, Oct 23, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Teen Meeting Room

Thu, Oct 23, 6:15pm - 8:00pm
Auditorium

Fri, Oct 24, 10:00am - 6:00pm
Garden Trio Corridor

Fri, Oct 24, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room

Sat, Oct 25, 10:00am - 5:00pm
Garden Trio Corridor

Sat, Oct 25, 10:30am - 11:00am
Children's Library Educator Lab,Children's Library Programming Room
This event is full

Sat, Oct 25, 11:15am - 11:45am
Children's Library Educator Lab,Children's Library Programming Room

Rescheduled
Sat, Oct 25, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
New date Saturday, October 11, 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Mon, Oct 27, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Computer Lab 1

Mon, Oct 27, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Teen Meeting Room

Mon, Oct 27, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
115 E. Market St., Akron, OH 44308

Tue, Oct 28, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Tue, Oct 28, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Computer Lab 1

Wed, Oct 29, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room
This event is full

Wed, Oct 29, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Computer Lab 1

Wed, Oct 29, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Children's Library Programming Room

Wed, Oct 29, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Meeting Room 2AB
This event is full

Thu, Oct 30, 10:00am - 4:00pm
Quiet Study Room 1

Thu, Oct 30, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Thu, Oct 30, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room

Thu, Oct 30, 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Thu, Oct 30, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Teen Meeting Room

Thu, Oct 30, 6:15pm - 8:00pm
Auditorium

Fri, Oct 31, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room

Sat, Nov 01, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
TechZone

Mon, Nov 03, 10:30am - 11:00am
Children's Library Programming Room

Mon, Nov 03, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Teen Meeting Room

Tue, Nov 04, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Tue, Nov 04, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Meeting Room 1

Wed, Nov 05, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room
This event is full

Wed, Nov 05, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Children's Library Programming Room

Wed, Nov 05, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Meeting Room 2AB

Wed, Nov 05, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Teen Meeting Room

Thu, Nov 06, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Thu, Nov 06, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room

Thu, Nov 06, 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Thu, Nov 06, 3:30pm - 4:30pm

Sat, Nov 08, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Special Collections

Sat, Nov 08, 11:00am - 12:00pm

Sat, Nov 08, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Children's Library Programming Room

Mon, Nov 10, 10:30am - 11:00am
Children's Library Programming Room

Mon, Nov 10, 1:00pm - 5:00pm
TechZone

Wed, Nov 12, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room
This event is full

Wed, Nov 12, 1:00pm - 5:00pm
TechZone

Wed, Nov 12, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Children's Library Programming Room

Wed, Nov 12, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Meeting Room 2AB

Wed, Nov 12, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Children's Library Programming Room

Wed, Nov 12, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
TechZone

Thu, Nov 13, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room

Thu, Nov 13, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Thu, Nov 13, 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Thu, Nov 13, 1:00pm - 5:00pm
TechZone

Thu, Nov 13, 3:30pm - 5:00pm
Teen Meeting Room

Thu, Nov 13, 6:15pm - 8:00pm
Auditorium

Fri, Nov 14, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room

Fri, Nov 14, 3:30pm - 5:30pm
Teen Meeting Room

Sat, Nov 15, 10:30am - 11:00am
Children's Library Programming Room

Cancelled
Sat, Nov 15, 11:00am - 3:00pm

Mon, Nov 17, 10:30am - 11:00am
Children's Library Programming Room

Mon, Nov 17, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Children's Library Programming Room

Mon, Nov 17, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Teen Meeting Room

Tue, Nov 18, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Tue, Nov 18, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space B

Tue, Nov 18, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Business, Government & Science Patent Alcove

Wed, Nov 19, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room
This event is full

Wed, Nov 19, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Children's Library Programming Room

Wed, Nov 19, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Meeting Room 2AB

Wed, Nov 19, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Children's Library Educator Lab

Wed, Nov 19, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Meeting Room 1
Registration opens Wednesday, October 29 2025 at 10:00am