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Pepperdine Hosts Christian Education Conference 

Pepperdine University will host the 2007 Association of Christian Education Preparation Programs (ACEPP) conference beginning Friday, Sept. 28, through Saturday, Sept. 29. The annual conference is held at a different Christian university each year.  

This year's theme, “Making Connections,” underscores one of ACEPP’s main goals: to understand how teacher education programs make connections in their schools and their communities while linking their faith with learning, teacher education programs, and courses. "Our theme this year will explore the unique difference our schools can make in training students to make their own unique contributions in the community and classroom," said Susan Giboney, Pepperdine ACEPP conference director and Seaver College visiting assistant professor of teacher education.

At the conference approximately 40 representatives from sister Church of Christ schools teacher education programs will come together to discuss their scholarship and work. Participants will engage in roundtable discussions and panel conversations. Dr. Jennifer Boone, principal of Manzanita Elementary School, will give the keynote speech titled “Making Connections: Designing and Building a Professional Development School from the Elementary School Perspective.”

Said Stella Erbes, a Pepperdine ACEPP conference representative and Seaver College assistant professor of teacher education, “This conference is a great way to network. It provides an opportunity for universities with similar missions to make connections between faith, learning, and teaching to collaborate and share and build upon their successes.”

The conference will take place on the Malibu campus. Friday’s activities will take place on the Drescher Graduate campus and Saturday’s on the Seaver College campus in an effort to include teacher education programs on both the undergraduate and graduate levels at Pepperdine.