RAF Mildenhall hosts UK child, youth conference

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Justine Rho
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England – Childcare educators and providers from RAF Mildenhall, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Croughton and RAF Alconbury, attended the U.K. Child and Youth Conference Sept. 9, held at the RAF Mildenhall Youth Center.

The annual conference creates an opportunity for childhood development center and youth program staff to network, develop best practices and skills to provide better care for military children, and ultimately support the Air Force mission.

Susan Speroff, RAF Mildenhall CDC Youth Programs director, has 36 years of experience in the education and childcare career field, including work experience from seven different military bases. As the conference key note speaker, Speroff shared stories from her career thus far; she shared experiences that challenged her and put her outside of her comfort zone, but concluded in self growth and a development of skills that benefited her abilities as an educator.

“I developed a mindset that whatever happens, happens and that it’s just another experience in life,” Speroff said. “That’s every day in child care. You have to accept the challenges, be resilient and open your doors to opportunity.”

After the key note speech and opening remarks, attendees were offered an array of workshops to join for the rest of the afternoon. The course topics included activity planning, potty training, nutrition and cooking, incorporating nature into the classroom and customer service. The workshops switched roles and put the educators in the seats of the students – each course catered to providing hands-on training to enhance the abilities of CDC and youth center staff.

The conference concluded with active classes, such as team building exercises, yoga and Zumba.