WYOMING LIBRARIES: Childhood Experts at Teton County Library

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208267_10151446329607959_358040856_nEarly Childhood Expert Nancy Bruski Presents Workshop for Parents & Teachers

Jackson, WY- Join early childhood expert Nancy Bruski for educational workshops tailored for parents, teachers and caregivers interacting with children age 8 and younger. Bruski founded and owns Wise Choice Guidance, www.wisechoiceguidance.com, in Evanston, IL providing therapy and training, consultation and workshops for early educators and parents. She published her first book “The Insightful Teacher: Reflective Strategies to Shape Your Early Childhood Classroom,” last fall.

While visiting Jackson, Bruski will present four, free workshops. Her visit is sponsored and supported by Teton County Library, Children’s Learning Center and Head Start, Old Wilson Schoolhouse Community Center and Wilson Elementary School.

Registration is required, and Spanish translation is available on request. Contact the Library’s Assistant Director, Isabel Zumel: izumel@tclib.org or 733-2164 ext. 101.

Friday, October 3
Help Your Child Build Inner Controls Without Losing Control Yourself
9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Library Ordway Auditorium
Learn techniques for engaging cooperation – without yelling or nagging – and helping children learn self-control and responsibility.

Raising Self Confident Children
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Old Wilson Schoolhouse Community Center, Wilson
Discover strategies for raising confident children who feel understood even when they don’t always get what they want.

Kindergarten Readiness:  What Parents Should Do & Expect from Schools
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Library Ordway Auditorium
Understand what Kindergarten readiness means, including what you should expect from elementary schools and how to be an effective advocate for your child. In English with Spanish translation.

Saturday, October 4
Reflective Teachers Are Effective Teachers: Creating Compassionate Classrooms
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Library Ordway Auditorium
Early childhood expert, Nancy Bruski, will present the classroom philosophy and approach described in her book, “The Insightful Teacher.” She will present a path to success as a teacher of young children that explores a wide range of topics, including: what it means to be reflective in one’s work, how to have developmentally appropriate expectations of children, setting up the physical environments to support successful behaviors, building strong connections with families, alternatives to consequences for managing behaviors, and developing individualized intervention strategies for chronically challenging behaviors.
Applicable to preschool teachers, early elementary school teachers and child care providers. 6 STARS credits approved. Simultaneous Spanish translation available upon request.

Nancy Bruski
Nancy Bruski has a 30-plus year career specializing in work with children and families.  Her initial training was at the Virginia Frank Child Development Center in Chicago, which specializes in providing therapy as well as a therapeutic preschool/kindergarten program for emotionally disturbed preschoolers and their families. She has since delivered services to staff, parents and children in several agency settings.

Nancy began her private clinical social work therapy, consultation and professional speaking practice in 1980. Currently, Nancy is an Adjunct Professor at Oakton Community College, teaching “Child Development” and “Guidance in the Early Childhood Classroom;”an Early Childhood Consultant to the Gertrude B. Nielsen Early Learning Center, a Full-Day NAEYC accredited program in suburban Chicago.

Nancy is committed to assisting teachers and parents to become more psychologically sensitive to children by helping them create strategies and interventions that increase children’s social-emotional competence.

For more information or to register for Bruski’s workshops in Jackson, call Library Assistant Director at 307.733.2164 ext. 101 or email izumel@tclib.org.

WY MAIN STREET: Wyoming Main Street Programs Honored

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Laramie & Rock Springs Main Street programs shared photos of their awards received at the Preserve Wyoming Conference in Powell.

Wyoming Main Street recognizes outstanding communities, businesses and volunteers

CASPER, Wyo. – Wyoming Main Street communities, businesses and volunteers were honored tonight at an awards banquet during the Preserve Wyoming Conference in Powell, Wyo.

Award categories included Wyoming Main Street’s Entrepreneur of the Year, Event of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Wyoming Main Street Program of the Year and the Jim Davis Leadership Award.

“The individuals, entrepreneurs and communities honored by these awards have worked exceptionally hard this year to make their Main Streets truly stand out,” said Mary Randolph, executive director of the Wyoming Business Council’s Wyoming Main Street program. “I am always impressed by the dedication and creativity exhibited within Wyoming’s Main Street communities. This year’s award recipients were very deserving of the recognition they received.”

Award recipients were:

  • Entrepreneur of the Year went to Carlo Harryman with Sweetwaternow.com in Rock Springs. This award recognizes an outstanding entrepreneur who is heavily invested in a historic downtown district and Main Street program. The business is an integral part of the downtown business mix and has strong relationships with other businesses. Harryman is willing to listen to ideas and help promote events and activities within the community. He is creative in promoting local businesses and organizations and has participated in all Main Street events since the business opened just over 12 months ago.
  • Event of the Year was given to Rock Springs for its Downtown Burger Challenge.This award is given to a community with an extraordinary Main Street event that is creative and has strong volunteer support behind it. The Burger Challenge encouraged area residents to visit all five downtown restaurants during National Burger Month in May. The event reinforced the fact that downtown Rock Springs is home to many great eateries and reminded people to choose downtown as a place to dine. The event exceeded expectations in the number of participants.
  • Gillette Main Street Art Walk Committee was recognized as Volunteer of the Year. This award goes to volunteer(s) who can be depended on to get the job done, work hard for the betterment of the downtown district, and have done something outstanding that deserves added recognition. The Art Walk Committee dedicated many hours each month to working with businesses, soliciting artists, creating different activities for the event and overseeing advertising.
  • Laramie Main Street Alliance was awarded the Main Street Program of the Year. Laramie was chosen because it had an amazing year in both the design and organization categories of the Main Street Four Point Approach ®. Laramie stood out as a program that is embracing the entrepreneurial spirit by changing its strategies to meet a changing market.
  • The Jim Davis Leadership Award went to Dan Brecht with the Platte County Main Street program in Wheatland. The award is given to a person who has been instrumental in the preservation and revitalization of historic commercial districts. They are a rare leader who has not only dedicated their time to a downtown district, but has the leadership qualities necessary to recruit others to the Main Street movement. Brecht uses his time and money to enhance the Wheatland community, has an ability to draw unlike groups and organizations together and has personally preserved and renovated his own downtown businesses and buildings, inspiring others to do the same. He is committed to seeing projects through from beginning to end and his efforts have resulted in a tremendous beautification effort throughout Wheatland.

The Wyoming Main Street program was established by the Wyoming Legislature in 2004. Main Street is a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and emphasizes a four-point approach to revitalization: economic restructuring, design, organization and promotion.  For more information visit: www.wyomingmainstreet.org.

The mission of the Wyoming Business Council is to facilitate the economic growth of Wyoming. The Business Council provides assistance for Wyoming businesses and start-ups, helps communities meet their development and diversification needs and recruits firms and industries that complement Wyoming’s assets. For more information, please visit www.wyomingbusiness.org.