Lynn Staley, elementary education professor, will serve as a delegate from the Association for Childhood Education, a Maryland-based, non-government agency.

Member states of the U.N. are expected to adopt a wide-ranging series of goals at the global conference in New York that will place children at the top of the world's agenda and address the pressing issues of child mortality, AIDS, exploitation and poverty.

"I have a heartfelt need to speak on the behalf of children," said Staley, an Anderson resident. "There needs to be a renewed emphasis on children and their families. I hope my participation will spark interest in this issue on the state and local level."

At the conference, government representatives will review what has been achieved for children over the last decade. The meeting will conclude with agreement on a draft document and its 21 goals, which will contribute to the Millennium Development Goals adopted by world leaders two years ago.