The second Yangtze River Delta Early Childhood Education Development Alliance Annual Conference, themed "Scientific Education Leads the Future, Psychological Health Education Safeguards the Way," took place at Shanghai Fuxing Senior High School.
Jointly organized by the Hongkou District Education Bureau, Shanghai Normal University Early Childhood Education College, and Shanghai Nursery Association, the event attracted nearly 400 experts, scholars, and frontline educators from universities and research institutions nationwide.
Attendees discussed the innovation and development of early childhood science education (including STEAM education) and psychological health education, aiming to deepen the collaborative innovation of early childhood education in the Yangtze River Delta region and support the country's educational advancement.
The conference featured a special report on the work of the Yangtze River Delta Early Childhood Education Development Alliance, outlining the alliance's development and future plans.
Over two years, the alliance has expanded significantly, enhancing the co-construction and sharing of university courses and deepening cooperation in early childhood education between universities and regional sectors.
Future plans include promoting further collaboration between universities, industry associations, and regional early childhood education sectors and establishing an integrated educational research exchange platform for the Yangtze River Delta.
During the event, the Hongkou District Education Bureau and Shanghai Normal University signed an agreement for a collaborative innovation project in early childhood education.
This was followed by the unveiling of the "Shanghai Normal University Collaborative Innovation Center for Early Childhood Education" in Hongkou District.
The center signifies a new milestone in the collaborative innovation of early childhood education teaching, research, talent training, and practice among universities, regional education authorities, and early childhood institutions. It also reaffirms the alliance's commitment to promoting high-quality early childhood education and supporting the integration of early childhood education in the Yangtze River Delta region.
The event featured three keynote speeches: "Everything Can Be Researched," "The Practice and Reflection on STEAM Education for Preschool Children: A Case Study of Computational Thinking Education," and "Early Environment and Children's Social-Emotional Functions."
The conference also included six sub-forums where participants exchanged insights on topics such as "The Theory and Practice Research of Early Childhood Science Education," "The Theory and Practice Research of Preschool Children's Social-Emotional Development and Learning," and "The Curriculum Construction of Infant Physical and Mental Health under the Background of Nursery-Kindergarten Integration."
The two-day annual conference continued on May 31, with participants visiting seven kindergartens in Hongkou District, including Hongkou Experimental Kindergarten and Xijie Kindergarten. They observed the practical research processes of scientific education and psychological health education in kindergartens, gaining direct insight into the early childhood education research outcomes in the Yangtze River Delta region.
For many years, Hongkou has focused on creating a high-level educational development environment within the region. The Hongkou Education Bureau stated that it will continue to thoughtfully support "the most delicate group," establishing a universal, high-quality, safe, diverse, and inclusive early childhood education system.