Welcome from the Conference Chair

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to what we expect will be a spectacular celebration of educational and developmental psychology 25 and 26 November 2011.

This is our third National Conference and each year our conference has grown in scope and opportunity. The two day event will feature a scientific meeting on the first day and a second day of workshops from our international keynotes.

The conference spans a broad sweep of educational and developmental psychology with a positive focus on health and wellbeing as well as learning outcomes. The three keynote speakers represent what we know as best practice in young people’s mental health and the avoidance of depression, the development of social emotional skills in the educational context and the diagnosis and intervention for learning difficulties. The three keynote speakers represent cutting edge research and practice from Australia, United States and the United Kingdom  In addition to the keynote speakers and the workshops that follow, the scientific papers should prove to be strong and diverse, representing Australian research and practice. This conference should appeal to practitioners and researchers working with young people in a range of setting that cover health, being and learning.

A strong feature of the annual Educational and Developmental Psychology Conferences has been the opportunity to bring together academics, researchers, practitioners and students. Both current students and prospective students have reported how they have benefited from the experience. This year we are locating the conference in the Melbourne CBD, close to public transport and the tourist precinct of the city for those who wish to maximize their Melbourne experience. A conference dinner and cocktail function are being planned.

The Conference Organising Committee looks forward to welcoming you to this festival of learning and professional practice.

Erica Frydenberg FAPS