For Immediate Release
Contact: Daniel Wackershauser, Marketing and PR Specialist
Phone: 608.822.2303
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: March 18, 2026
Week of the Young Child events to focus on youth literacy
Dr. Dipesh Navsaria to serve as keynote speaker on April 16
Fennimore -Southwest Wisconsin Technical College will celebrate the Week of the Young Child, April 13-17, with a series of events focused on supporting young learners, their families and the educators who serve them.
The week’s featured event will take place Thursday, April 16, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the college’s Lenz Center. The event, titled “Every Child, Every Story,” will center on language and literacy. Attendees can choose to join the presentation in-person or virtually.
The keynote presentation will be delivered virtually by Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, a pediatrician, educator and national advocate for early literacy. His presentation, “Reach Out and Read,” will explore the critical role that early language exposure and shared reading play in a child’s development. Navsaria is widely recognized for his work connecting health care and literacy and for promoting strategies that support children and families from birth through the early years.
Reach Out and Read partners with clinicians to utilize well-child visits, promoting early literacy and healthy relationships by encouraging caregivers to read and share books with infants and young children. It’s the only literacy initiative endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, serving 4.8 million children annually across every state in the U.S. Navsaria serves on its board of directors.
“Events like this strengthen our early childhood workforce by connecting students and professionals to current best practices,” said Renae Blaschke, Early Childhood Education Instructor, who is helping organize the week of events. “It’s also a way to show prospective students the impact, and the opportunities, in early childhood education.”
Following the keynote, participants attending in person will have opportunities to engage in breakout discussions and networking focused on practical literacy strategies and family engagement. Virtual attendees will have access to the keynote presentation and also to extended learning sessions after the keynote, including a PBS Kids resource overview.
The event is open to early childhood education students and staff, childcare providers, school district educators, Head Start professionals and parents, and the general public. Registration is open to everyone, with options to attend either in person or online.
To support family participation, child-friendly literacy activities will be offered in a nearby space during the event. Activities will be coordinated by the Southwest Tech Early Childhood Education Club. While the evening is designed to be family friendly, parents or guardians must remain on site. Food will be provided for in-person participants.
The college is partnering with CESA as a collaborating organization for the event, reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening early childhood education across the region. “This work is strongest when schools, childcare providers and families learn together,” said Caroline Rossing, WSPEI Coordinator at CESA 3. “Partnering with Southwest Tech on this event helps us share consistent, research-based literacy strategies with educators and caregivers across the region.”
Additional Week of the Young Child activities earlier in the week will include career exploration experiences for high school students and a family meal event at the college’s childcare center.
More information and registration details: swtc.edu/woyc.