Join us for a celebration of voices, stories, and impactful change! The session will officially launch the edited book about SECA, titled Voices of Early Childhood Educators: Conversations About Change in the U.S. South—a book five years in the making! It is packed with SECA histories, and inspiring insights and real-world experiences from ECE educators across the South. In this special “Meet the Author” panel, you’ll get to dive into the rich stories of how early childhood educators are shaping the future in unique and powerful ways. Our authors will share the behind-the-scenes of their chapters, touching on the challenges and triumphs of working in the South and the incredible resilience and creativity of the ECE community. Don’t miss the chance to grab a copy of the book on-site and get it signed by the authors, all while connecting with fellow ECE advocates who are driving change in classrooms and communities across the South. Let’s kick off this exciting chapter together!
Thursday March 20, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Legends I
Leadership begins with the participant being the ONE to be a positive leader presented through their actions.The letters a-c-t-I-o-n will be used to assign leadership words to motivate the participant to be a better leader.
Dr. Judy Prine is a Compliance Inspector 1 for the Mississippi State Department of Health, where she trains directors, director designees, and caregivers concerning the Regulations Governing the Licensure of Child Care Facilities. She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration... Read More →
Thursday March 20, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Legends V
Babies are learning language from the moment they are born. As we learn more about how the brain develops, we have learned the importance of talking with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Current research practices for supporting early language and literacy place a specific focus on the connections between language and brain development. Dr. Patricia Kuhl from the University of Washington has conducted extensive research on early language and brain development. Her work has played a vital role in how we understand the effects of exposure to language at an early age supports the structure of the brain during the most pivotal developmental stage. Research from Dr. David Dickinson at Vanderbilt University explores specific ways adults can support language in young children through responsive interactions. 85% of brain development takes place during the first three years of a child’s life. The connections between oral language and literacy development show a supportive relationships to executive function skills, vocabulary acquisition, and home language and the impact of these on all future learning. By exploring specific techniques for talking and increasing conversational turns to support language development through child-directed speech, narrative talk, reading books, using home language, and storytelling activities adults working with children can support families in providing opportunities to increase the quality and quantity of spoken language through everyday practices. We will explore initiatives and programs that provide ways for practitioners, childcare workers, and families to gain access to resources to support practical strategies for increasing language and supporting brain development.
Doctoral Student, University of Alabama at Birmingham
I am a doctoral student in Early Childhood Education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. My past work experiences include administrator in weekday and children's ministries, teacher in public 4K- 1st grade classroom for 10 years, and coordinator for a non-profit early literacy... Read More →
We know children learn best through play, but how do we facilitate play intentionally to prevent challenging behavior? In this session, we look at evidence-based play methods that are actionable and easy to implement. Simple strategies to build trust, engineer empathy skills, facilitate negotiation, and engage in sensory play with children displaying challenging behaviors will be shared. Join us and share some of your own strengths and struggles over play-based learning.
Rebecca Freedman is an experienced educator and consultant. As Sr. Vice President of Professional Development at FirstDay Learning, Ms. Freedman oversees all content development designed to support educators and families in evidenced based mental health and Applied Behavior Analysis... Read More →
Young preschool children with special needs have limited capacity to communicate and connect to the real world. The surrounding adults play a critical role in the development of these preschoolers. However, there have been so many challenges nowadays due to the varied family structures and limited resources available for these family members after pandemic. There were very limited resources nor publications about practical partnership among family members, preschool teachers, and a higher Ed institution for the preschool children with special needs. This two-year Trilateral Approach provides a real opportunity to make the ideal evidence-based practices which happen in the real life of young preschool children in Eastern Kentucky. This presentation will focus on sharing the firsthand activities that Families of preschool children with special needs from Eastern KY region went through and the effects of collaborated works among families, preschool teachers and the higher education institution for the development of preschool children with special needs along with its chain consequences on the development of siblings through family play activity time.
Talk and telling stories has an essential place at the core of writing. Through talk, children unfold their thinking and develop the confidence to take risks in their writing. This session explores several ways teachers can capitalize on children’s oral language development while supporting their emergent writing skills. Attendees will participate in simulations of versatile techniques and routines that guide children’s use of writing utensils and storytelling. Additionally, attendees will make and take home their own sets of storytelling materials. This interactive session will equip attendees with practical, creative, and developmentally appropriate techniques and materials to nurture writing in their students.
Thursday March 20, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Legends II
The SECA Leadership Summit (additional registration fee) is a one-day event held on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Educators from across the country will visit various off-site early childhood centers and end with an afternoon discussion. Please note that this event is partially off-site meaning you will not be able to attend any workshop sessions from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm during the SECA conference. Leadership Summit will begin with tours that will leave at 9:00 am and conclude around 1:00 pm. Participants will meet in the hotel lobby. Upon returning to the conference site, participants will conclude the day with an afternoon tea and table discussions about effective leadership with an amazing group of SECA FOSSILS. Space is limited, so please register early.
Thursday March 20, 2025 9:00am - 3:00pm CDT
Legends I
This presentation addresses an important, yet overlooked, topic - planning time. The session will present data from ECE teachers and directors about planning time, curriculum, and working environments that connect with state and national administrative core competencies. Presenters will provide a snapshot of the field regarding planning time practices related to curricula and supportive work environments while addressing the practical barriers that administrators face. We will assist in applying this information and take a practical approach so administrators can construct individual plans for how they will support their staff through planning time and environmental best practices. Get ready to share perspectives with other administrators as we create our next step blueprints pulling from the collective expertise of everyone in the session. This presentation represents the diverse experiences of EC professionals by elevating the voices of teachers and directors at a variety of program types and draws on recent literature on teacher well-being. The presentation will provide applicable and relevant information to assist directors in meeting professional core competencies that are feasible and support their staff.
This session will start with a welcome and ice breaker activity, using types of art works to create table groups (Brown Bear, Brown Bear-connection) The group will reflect on their personal experiences with art and exposure to art works. Time for sharing in small groups and a few whole group comments will help to establish commonality and possible new insights. The objectives will be reviewed to help participants gauge if the content is what they expected. there will be post-it notes on tables for participants to write down questions for discussion at the end of the presentation. I will review the agenda for the session. Teaching Points- What the typical toddler art experiences looks like (input form participants) Common definition of "art" for our purpose today- It is not crafts or "make -it like this one." PowerPoint examples of types of art works, how and where they can be integrated into the environment and some routines. Exploration- time for participants to review samples of art and think about how they might appeal to children, where and how they can be made accessible. Application- some examples and then time for participants to revisit the exploration samples and identify potential learning goals. Implementation- make a plan for how you can start! Include type of art, materials you will need, how you will introduce it, where it will "live" in your room, and a timeline. Share ideas and hopefully have time for those questions.
This interactive session equips early childhood educators with the foundational knowledge of sensory processing in young children. Led by an occupational therapist with 27 years experience in pediatric field, the session explores how children experience the world through their senses. Participants will gain a practical understanding of sensory processing challenges and discover how to recognize signs in their classrooms.
Through engaging activities and real-life examples, educators will learn simple strategies to create supportive environments that cater to diverse sensory needs. The session will cover topics such as:
*The sensory system and its impact on learning *Identifying signs of sensory over- and under-stimulation *Adapting the classroom environment to promote sensory regulation *Easy-to-implement activities that cater to different sensory preferences
By the end of this session, educators will feel empowered to create classrooms where all children can thrive and learn comfortably.
Vickie Maertz holds a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy and has worked with children for the past 32 years. She is a Level 3 trainer with TCPEDS. Vickie likes to find creative and interactive ways to teach not only the updates to minimum standards but also about special needs children... Read More →
Thursday March 20, 2025 9:15am - 11:15am CDT
Legends VII
This training session focuses on the critical role of open-ended play in early childhood development and the importance of intentionally designing play spaces to support this type of exploration. Participants will learn how open-ended play fosters creativity, problem-solving, and social-emotional growth in children. The session will provide practical guidance on setting up play environments that are developmentally appropriate, flexible, and conducive to self-directed learning. Educators will also explore strategies for observing and facilitating play without interrupting its natural flow. By the end of the training, participants will be equipped with the tools and insights needed to create intentional, supportive environments that encourage children to explore, imagine, and learn through play.
Research indicates that writing in early childhood offers numerous developmental and educational advantages. Early educators are crucial in fostering emerging literacy among young children by providing regular chances for them to engage in writing activities. Through consistent opportunities to write, children improve fine motor skills, develop alphabet knowledge, enhance phonemic awareness, and acquire a variety of other skills. During this interactive session, we will trace the journey of Isabella, a pre-kindergarten student, over the course of a school year, examining samples of her writings and exploring how current HCS leadership team teachers, guide and support students' exploration of writing. Join us to learn supporting brain research and many developmentally appropriate activities to foster growth in your classroom.
School Readiness Pre-K Specialist, Huntsville City Schools Pre-K
With over 25 years of experience in early childhood education, I have worked as an infant, toddler, preschool, and pre-kindergarten teacher, as well as a child care consultant. Currently, I serve as a School Readiness Pre-K Specialist. I hold a bachelor's degree in child development... Read More →
I have been a classroom teacher for almost 20 years and am so thankful I get to spend my days with some of the best little people! I have been married to my husband, John, since 1998. We have two children, Allie and Jake. My favorite things to do outside of school is spending... Read More →
Do you have little learners who exhibit challenging behaviors? Using hands-on, interactive techniques, we will explore tools and materials to use in the classroom with children who need additional support. We will investigate tips, techniques, and materials to reach ALL children compassionately.
After years in public school kindergarten and higher education, I am currently a 4K Coach in SC. I am a long-time member and presenter for SECA and SCECA.
I am currently a First Steps 4K Coach after years of teaching Head Start, early intervention, and in a self-contained, cross categorical special needs preschool classroom in the public school system.
Thursday March 20, 2025 9:15am - 11:15am CDT
Legends I
Building value as a childcare business owner — for yourself and the children and families you serve — hinges on running a profitable school. As an owner, you must be financially healthy and thriving to provide excellent care and education. So, how can you ensure that you continue to deliver on your mission while building your bottom line?
Join Kathy Ligon, the early education industry’s go-to expert for financial know-how and business growth, to discover the five key components for financial health. Based on more than 30 years of analyzing successful early education organizations' financial practices, this session will break down what the average ?nancially healthy school looks like in numbers and how your company can mimic that success.
My mission in the ECE space is to support business owners in becoming as financially healthy as possible toward the purpose of supporting children, teachers, and families. We help owners exit their business and real estate when they are ready with a confidential, competitive process... Read More →
Join us as we share our attempts at minimizing the child care staffing crisis in our state, through two initiatives that are training high school students in early childhood education best practices. The University of Arkansas Fort Smith Early Childhood Education Program, in collaboration with the Arkansas Early Childhood Association, has piloted two models for offering college credit and early childhood credentials to secondary learners. After graduating from their local high schools, these students will have the training for providing the highest quality of care to children birth-five. Furthermore, they will be able to continue their education through the fully online Early Childhood Associate and Bachelor degrees, while employed in their local child development centers. We will have a time for brainstorming alternate solutions to the current staffing crisis, as we are all in this together!
Director of Early Childhood Education, University of Arkansas Fort Smith
DR. SHELLI HENEHAN is the Coordinator of Assessment and Professor for the School of Education at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith, where she is currently also serving as the Director of Early Childhood Education. Her doctoral degree is in Workforce Development, specializing in... Read More →
Thursday March 20, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Legends V
This session creates space for early childhood education practitioners and future practitioners to engage in activities and conversations centered around intentional and purposeful planning of opportunities and activities aimed at helping young children grow and develop a variety of math skills, processes and thinking.
Assistant Teaching Professor, The University of Southern Mississippi
Dr. Susan Clark is an assistant teaching professor in Child and Family Sciences at The University of Southern Mississippi. In addition, she serves as the curriculum specialist at the campus-based Center for Child Development, which serves 100 children birth to 5 years of age and serves... Read More →
Thursday March 20, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Legends VI
Most teachers, therapists and childcare facilities are hesitant to deal with children with special needs, especially autism spectrum disorder because of the challenges they present. We are breaking the barriers of limitations with a combination of awareness about disabilities and empowering parents. Facilitating inclusion helps all of us understand that we have more in common, being different physically or emotionally is just a normal part of life.
Assistant Professor - Director Autism Clinic, University of Centra Oklahoma - Special Care Inc.
Dr, Mansur Choudry is the Director of Autism Clinic, at Special Care and is a Board certified Behavior Analyst. He is Assistant Professor in the Special Education Department at the University of Central Oklahoma.For his work in the field of special education and specifically autism... Read More →
Thursday March 20, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Legends VII
Allowing children to make choices and to play during the daily routine are essential to the development of their executive function, self regulation, social skills and problem-solving. However, not all daily routines allow this to happen. This session will remind us of the essential skills and understandings that preschool children gain through play and how to provide it for them.
COnsultant/Trainer, Educational Services for Parents and Teachers
Karan Marshall has taught young children and their teachers for more than 50 years. She has been a children's classroom teacher and director, CDA instructor, community college adjunct faculty and academic advisor, workshop leader, and CDA Professional Development Specialist. She is... Read More →
Thursday March 20, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Legends III
This training session is designed to equip early childhood educators with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to effectively integrate media and technology into their teaching practices. The focus is on using these tools to enhance learning, engagement, and development in young children while maintaining a balanced and safe digital environment. Participants will receive handouts and resources that will reinforce developmentally appropriate use of technology. Based on research and firsthand experience, this session will give practical applications to incorporate media into the early learning classroom in a way that is developmentally appropriate for ages 2-5.
Children and Lead: What You Don't Know Can Hurt Them
Children under 6 are the most vulnerable to the effects of lead poisoning. The good news is that lead poisoning is 100% preventable. In this fun and informative session, participants will learn about the dangers of lead, common sources of lead, lead exposure prevention, and community resources for families.
In this session, we will share basics of coding in early childhood, computational thinking, and engineering. We will discuss methods of integrating literacy with these STEM disciplines. We will share methods that we used in our preschool classroom to integrate literacy with computational thinking and engineering, through lessons that included storytelling, problem solving, coding, and constructing. From activities ranging from coding a classmate to reach the Three Little Pigs house, sequencing familiar stories and creating our own, and engineering a boat for the Gingerbread Man that would float, students were able to explore STEM concepts through a literacy lens.
Imaginative Small World Play Educators will investigate the benefits, materials and skills to create small world play for young children. Young children will engage in using their imagination, creativity, building, sensory and language skills through small world play experiences. Imagination is nurtured with small world play experiences, let's imagine some small worlds for your students.
Meaningful planning is an essential practice to support optimal development for young children. This session will help participants plan and create activities that are meaningful. Participants will learn ways to extend learning through their interactions by implementing the CLASS tool. Participants will engage in hands-on activities to discuss ways to extend learning opportunities in meaningful ways.
Early Childhood Education has survived the COVID era (barely), but that survival has been precarious. The urgent call for strategies to save, strengthen and build this profession has been heard for years. Find out what South Carolina is doing to build the profession in our state and identify strategies you can adopt to strengthen the profession in your state, as well as strengthen the professional within you!
4K Manager, Leadership Development, SC First Steps 4K
Kristine Jenkins has over 28 years of experience in the field of Early Childhood Education. Of these years, 17 years were spent as an owner/director of three childcare centers in Myrtle Beach, SC. The last 12 years have been with SC First Steps 4K program where she serves as a 4K... Read More →
Thursday March 20, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Legends III
In the last five years, extreme weather events in Louisiana have become more common as the rate of occurrence rose from 2.2 events per year to nearly 6 events per year (5.8; NCEI, 2024). The result is that young children under the age of 5 years old are growing up in a region where extreme weather events are commonplace. Yet, it is rare for early childhood curricula to address climate change (CC). Young children play an important role in the future of our environment because they frequently experience and will inherit the ongoing consequences of the increased incidences of extreme weather events.
This presentation shares the story of a 25-year-old female art teacher working at a school with students who identify as 50.5% Black, 28.4% White, 12.7% Hispanic, 6.9% Asian, and 1.5% Native American. The teacher began a lesson on CC by introducing a graphic text featuring an otter and his family in an extreme weather event requiring them to move their home. To promote dialogue with the children and gain an understanding of their experiences, she circulated around the room and asked children to discuss their drawings (i.e., “Tell me about your drawing” and “What happened?”). Results show that young children related to the displacement of the otter and relayed their own stories. Further, adults make attempts to insulate children to protect them from the stress of CC events. However, despite these efforts, children and adults in New Orleans face the stress of an uncertain future.
Harnessing younger students’ innate curiosity about the natural world and desire to protect it can be done with hands-on classroom activities that build STEAM skills, increase environmental literacy and show sustainable paths forward. In this session, the presenter will facilitate a series of interdisciplinary lessons that involve creating 3-D models, engaging in an interactive story, and working collaboratively on solving authentic problems. In one activity, participants create a 3-D model of the Earth, which they decorate to show different physical geography features, including farmland, forests and cities. In another, they use engineering skills in experimenting ways to clean up a local river. In yet another activity, they explore the impacts of both individual and collective actions that make positive impacts on their environment and create handprint pledges to “lend a hand to the Earth” in small and large ways. The session activities aim to excite and motivate students to work toward the type of world they want, and showing them how STEAM skills can empower them to do that. The presenter will allow time for discussion and provide participants with take-home lessons in an electronic format.
Join us for an engaging workshop designed for early childhood professionals focusing on integrating AI tools in early childhood education. This session will cover AI basics and demonstrate practical applications to enhance teaching and learning. Participants will engage in hands-on demonstrations of AI tools, exploring how these technologies can support diverse educational needs. We’ll discuss strategies for personalized learning experiences, using data to inform instruction, and fostering children's development. We will also address common challenges and concerns regarding AI in early childhood settings, equipping participants with strategies to navigate these issues while maximizing AI's benefits. The workshop will emphasize innovative curriculum design, offering approaches to create interactive lessons that leverage AI to enrich the learning experience. Participants are encouraged to bring their own devices if they wish to try creating their own curriculum during the session. To support ongoing collaboration, attendees will gain access to a shared electronic file containing resources and insights post-workshop. Join us to discover how AI can transform your early childhood classroom, empowering educators and supporting every child's unique learning path.
Dr. Lisa Taylor Cook has worked in child development programs, family child care and public schools. For the past 15 years, she has worked in the early childhood field in private, public, and military child care programs. As an assistant director and training and curriculum specialist... Read More →
Thursday March 20, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Legends VII
Running a program means doing 100 things in any given day. Managing all the tasks can be overwhelming. There are always at least 3 arenas of activities you need to manage. You are a ringmaster. You need a whip, some music and talented lion tamers to keep everything moving along & safe.
If you don’t, the monkeys will get loose & cause mayhem…making it impossible for you to get your work done. Join this session to identify your monkeys, tiger time, lion tamers & soundtrack.
SECA is desiring to work with affiliates to offer an open forum to strengthen our state organizations. This session is meant to be a learning and sharing opportunity for all. For the first hour (2:45-3:45), each state's leadership team involved in day to day business operations should plan to attend. The content will include membership, Wild Apricot, organizational techniques, and reasonable expectations. During the 2nd hour (4-5), we'll review information for those who are conference planners. In part 2 - we will focus more on providing ideas for state conferences/funding, how to find keynotes/ local presenters/ sponsors, program - printed or apps, and negotiating with hotels/conference centers/AV companies. This will be an opportunity to share in an open panel with one another offering guidance to others and asking for suggestions for improvement for all. Participants are welcome to attend one or both sessions.
Welcome to South Carolina! We are glad that you are here and hope you will follow the health and safety guidelines from SC DHEC. WE appreciate that you WEAR A MASK to keep you and those around you safe and healthy. You can contact me with questions about SCECA, the conference or anything... Read More →
Thursday March 20, 2025 2:45pm - 5:00pm CDT
Legends II
This session will help participants learn strategies for designing physical spaces and open-ended play provocations using loose parts that help young children develop skills in all developmental domains and individual approaches to learning.
Dr. Brunson has worked in early childhood for over 20 years. Her Cradle to Prison Pipeline Intervention Service Learning Project provides literacy materials and school supplies to families living in poverty so they’ll have access to resources to strengthen social-emotional, physical... Read More →
Are you seeing escalating challenging behaviors in your classroom and/or program and feeling unsure how to create an effective plan to help both the teacher and child? This session takes a deep dive into the creation and use of easy to implement, actionable behavior change plans. Participants will be trained on FirstDay’s ABC-123 plan for effective prevention and responses to challenging behavior. Time and guidance will be provided to understand the key steps in a behavior change program and make specific plans to implement them in your own programs and classrooms.
Rebecca Freedman is an experienced educator and consultant. As Sr. Vice President of Professional Development at FirstDay Learning, Ms. Freedman oversees all content development designed to support educators and families in evidenced based mental health and Applied Behavior Analysis... Read More →
Finding the most engaging strategies for meaningful professional development is an important part of a director’s role. Ensuring that information and activities are geared to all staff and can benefit everyone present is often a challenge. This session will cover five important components of excellent professional development with details and examples. A free workbook can be accessed after the session for later consideration and support.
