NWACC hosts fourth annual ‘Power of Play’ conference

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Northwest Arkansas Community College’s fourth annual ‘Power of Play’ conference spotlighted the crucial role of play during child development.

On July 20, early childhood educators were given guidance on integrating more play into their classrooms and were provided with resources to support their efforts.

“About 90% of your brain is fully developed before you are 5 years old, so it’s really important that we recognize and support those first years of development because they are so crucial,” Natasha Kile, NWACC’s education chair, said. “A big part of how those children learn in those early years is through hands-on experiential opportunities like play

This year’s conference was themed ‘Make it meaningful,’ calling on educators to focus on better benefitting students who have experienced trauma at a young age.

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