Children in the Digital Age
The Neuroscience of Seeing Ourselves and Every Child
– by Professor Selena Bartlett
Queensland University of Technology
This interactive workshop blends cutting-edge neuroscience with real-world strategies to support children growing up in a hyperconnected world. You’ll learn how digital environments impact developing brains and emotional health and gain practical tools to foster focus, resilience, connection, and calm. Designed for parents, educators, and professionals, this session empowers you to navigate the digital age with confidence and compassion, helping every child thrive.
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Professor Selena Bartlett is a world-renowned neuroscientist and Group Leader of Neuroscience and Neuroplasticity at the Translational Research Institute, School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health at the Queensland University of Technology.
A widely published neuroscientist, author of “Being Seen” and commentator on neuroscience and its application in the real world. Professor Bartlett offers highly practical applications to help organisations and individuals to deal more successfully with the stresses of the modern workplace and living.
Child Safety in the Cyber Playground
Pedagogical Responsiveness to Safeguard Children’s Digital Identity
– by Nicole Talarico
Talarico Consulting
Did you know there are emoji’s and hashtags to avoid to make posting online safer? What does Exclusion, masquerading, trolling, tech harassment and doxing look like? What are the dangers of self generated content online?
Authorities and Cyber experts internationally are struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of technological advances, we have Australian Legislation, however society is not confident to clearly articulate what we can do to protect children’s safety, privacy and wellbeing. It starts with preventative education for all stakeholders, inclusive of children.
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Nicole Talarico is best known as an advocate for child safety and children’s rights, with a social justice lens always present. Nicole is an author, her book Asserting a Culture of Child Safety to guide education and care services to create and maintain physical, emotional, spiritual, social and culturally safe environments with her insight being shared at inter/national conferences in the capacity as key note speaker and MC and through targeted professional development projects such as Early Childhood Australia and the Department of Education for their Child Information Sharing Scheme launch. Nicole undertakes Quick Response Team work for the Department of Education in VIC, NSW and WA due to her extensive experience in the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Nicole’s work has been published in a range of early childhood sector peak body publications, inclusive of podcasts, and webinar platforms.
Implementing trauma-informed early years strategies
– by Sarah Forgan
Berry Street Education Model
In the breakout session, Sarah Forgan will build upon her keynote with focus on implementing and sustaining trauma-informed early years strategies. Taking a pragmatic approach, and acknowledging often competing practice priorities within each service, Sarah will provide a deeper dive into practical tools to help early years educators stay grounded, engaged, and resilient in order to make a lasting impact on the children and families they serve.
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Sarah Forgan is a Senior Consultant for the Berry Street Education Model. Prior to joining the team, she has worked both in Australia and abroad, as a Kindy teacher, an educational advisor for the Ministry of Education in Namibia, founding teacher for a high-performance charter school in Los Angeles, and most recently as a student and staff wellbeing leader in Sydney. Her early experience in communities and social justice is now woven through an intricate understanding of curriculum design and focused under an umbrella of trauma-informed teaching, positive education, and wellbeing practices. As a result of Sarah’s in-depth knowledge of the early years and trauma-informed practices she is leading the development for the BSEM Early Years online training modules.