Knowledge Center

Scott Lesnick, CSP

Imagine how much the guy who figured out a way to rescue his two small children when they were kidnapped to the Middle East can teach you about resilience, successfully navigating change, perseverance and seeing the big picture in your professional and personal life. You’ve been through a lot professionally and personally. COVID-19 has changed many things. Yet, you’re making a difference in children’s lives despite limitations!

In this session, you’ll learn strategies to: Increase your leadership abilities through more effective relationship building, improve your communication effectiveness and engagement with administration, parents and staff, recognize when stress may be affecting decisions and the tools to help, provide you with tools to reduce stress and increase focus and engage employees, develop agile approaches to long-term challenges through strategy, tenacity and persistence, learn to grow, mentor and lead even during times of change.

Live Zoom participation limited to the first 1,000 attendees. This session will be available on-demand starting May 5, 2021.

Amy Vandament & Isabel Baker, The Book Vine for Children

The relationship between an adult, a young child and a good book creates a safe space and a bond, and it fuels a passion for learning and literacy. This year, when children are deprived of the comforts of their school routines, finding joy and connection through reading is especially crucial. 

Amy Vandament and Isabel Baker will present read-aloud techniques and strategies and review some of the best new picture books of the year. We will include books on a range of subjects, including stories, STEAM, and Social Emotional, always with an eye on inclusion and diversity. Our presentation will emphasize that the joy of reading is a fundamental part of the experience! We will demonstrate how that joy can be cultivated. Reading with children should leave the adult and child feeling transformed and wanting more. 

Virtual learning and upended routines present considerable challenges for young learners right now, but reading continues to be joyful and transformative even online. An alphabet book about feeling left out can use humor to deliver walloping laughs to a whole class at once, even virtually. A story’s interesting characters and surprising situations can push children to engage and discuss with each other, even at a distance. The tenderness with which a teacher reads a book is a safe haven in an uncertain time. We will show teachers that the social-emotional benefits of reading are found both in the subject matter of the books themselves and in the relationship that develops between the adult and the children reading together.

Live Zoom participation limited to the first 1,000 attendees. This session will be available for on-demand viewing May 5, 2021.

Amanda Morgan, Not Just Cute

This insightful and engaging keynote identifies societal trends that push curriculum and expectations further and further down to our youngest children. Rooted in the belief that these changes have been made with the best of    intentions, but not the best information, this presentation works to lay out the facts of how children are meant to learn and why respecting the process of development is always appropriate. We’ll talk about the importance of recognizing childhood as valid and valuable, laying an appropriate and solid foundation for early learning, and avoiding the too-much-too-soon approach to childhood. This is a call to action presentation, helping others to use facts to fight fear, and stand up for children and childhood.

Live Zoom participation limited to the first 1,000 attendees. This session will be available for on-demand viewing May 5, 2021.

Dan Hodgins, Early Childhood Consultant

When is the last time you heard a child say that to you? Did your hair stand up on the back of your neck? Did you get red in the face? Did you say behind your breath, "You little...."?

We will discuss why power struggles occur, how to develop more opportunities for children to attain POWER and how to make changes in your program to support children developing self control.

Live Zoom participation limited to the first 1,000 attendees. This session will be available for on-demand viewing May 5, 2021.

Marica Cox Mitchell, Bainum Family Foundation

We have all been saying this for years – the existing child care system is overly burdensome for families and early childhood education professionals. Families can’t pay for quality child care and educators are underpaid. The public and policy makers are now paying more attention to child care as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that change is coming. But who is leading the change and what decisions are being made? This session will highlight the critical questions and issues that are being tackled as plans are being made to reimagine and build a better child care system.

Live Zoom limited to first 1,000 participants. This session will be available on-demand May 5, 2021.

Jim Gill, Musician & Author

Thirty-five years ago Jim Gill picked up a banjo excited by the idea that music, apart from the joy it brings, is a great way to play and a great way to help young children learn. In this energizing session Jim shares examples of his award-winning songs and musical books that combine opportunities for active movement with word play and rhymes. Teachers and care providers will appreciate the finger plays and singable songs that they can share with children immediately after the workshop.

These practical ideas inspire play, but Jim also reminds early childhood professionals why we play. Early childhood educators will leave the session inspired to celebrate with new songs and playful literacy activities. Even more, they will leave the session thinking about new strategies to help children learn!

Live Zoom limited to the first 1,000 participants. This session will be available on-demand May 5, 2021.  

Colleen Nelson, MDHHS & Sandy Bromley, Haddie's Calling- Every Child Wakes Up

Hear one family's story of loss due to unsafe sleep in a child care setting. Learn why supporting safe sleep is important and how to do it by implementing a safe sleep policy/protocol in your facility.

Jessica McCoy, Next Generation Learning Center

Bring the elements of art to meet multiple domains with quick reference tools to help navigate lesson plan writing. And create your own bag of tricks to help rough moments.

Beth Garza, Wayne RESA & Noel Sauer, Wayne RESA & Carissa Orr, Wayne RESA

Join us as we begin our journey of becoming trauma informed.  Learn about the Michigan ACE Initiative and the Understanding N.E.A.R. (Neuroscience, Epigenetics, Adverse Childhood Experiences [ACEs], and Resilience) research that demonstrates how ACEs and social determinants affect the health and development of children and adults. Leave this workshop with an understanding of the unique opportunity educators have to help students, families, and staff overcome the effects of trauma by building resilience.  

Cari O'Connor, MAISD & Kim Fox, Calhoun ISD

A framework to support the NEW! Essential Instructional Practices in Early Mathematics - what you should know, what you need to know and what you want to know - including opportunities to provide feedback and share experiences. Explore how these practices can support early childhood, general and special education teachers, parents, administrators, coaches, and consultants in building mathematicians in PreK- third grades.  

Charis Wahman, Michigan State University

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of young children entering early childhood programs with significant social and emotional needs. This presentation will highlight strategies teachers can employ within the Pyramid Model framework to prevent challenging behavior during routines and transitions. 

Windy Carroll, Our Savior Lutheran School & Sara DeYarmond, Our Savior Lutheran School

No matter your school's setting, you can create an outdoor learning space for the students in your Early Childhood programs. Learn how to overcome perceived barriers to outdoor learning and work with the space and materials available to you to support meaningful outdoor play. 

Vanessa Wyss, Ferris State University & Lindsey Bailey, Population Education

Engage in inquiry-based activities -- games, role-playing and cooperative group exercises -- that build academic skills in several subject areas while broadening ecological awareness. Receive lesson plans matched to state standards.

Casey Sterle, Leslie Public Schools

A year ago......this looked different. How many times have we said that recently? We are learning a different set of skills but how do incorporate the old with the new? Enjoy engaging stories and books while picking up some strategies for continuing to teach children about a love of literacy even in our new world.  

Terrie Noland, Learning Ally & Carol Reed, Learning Ally

Presentation includes research on brain-based early literacy strategies and how teachers engage children to master these skills by applying evidence-based instruction to prevent academic failure.  Educators will be motivated to implement best practices in early literacy instruction.

Beverly Meyer, The Music Lady Program

Creative Thinking and Flexibility are the cornerstones of good living these days. Learn innovative ways that YOU can bring more music activities into your classroom setting. You will learn joyful songs that can be expanded easily to fit any curriculum or just be enjoyed as presented.

Dr. Charmaine Johnson, Wayne County Community College & Najwa Dahdah, Wayne County Community College

How to apply the naeyc position statement of, "Recommendations for those Facilitating Educator Preparation and Professional Development." Learn teaching strategies to foster a sense of belonging, and community among first-generation college students.

Joni Zieldorff, Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health & Robin Zeiter, Office of Great Start

This workshop will include an overview of FREE professional development opportunities funded by The Michigan Department of Education, in partnership with the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health, and MiRegistry.org!

Holly Hoffman, Central Michigan University

This session will provide specific examples of goal setting techniques used to support early childhood professionals. In this community of learners, we will discuss how holistic approaches addressing a variety of goals on a weekly, monthly, and long term basis have the potential to benefit early childhood professionals. Approaches have resulted in self-reported increases in self-confidence, knowledge, and levels of preparedness by goal setters, as they increase goal attainment.

Carlie McKinney, MiRegistry & Emily Finnerus, MiRegistry

MiRegistry is an online tool for individuals to track their experience, education, credentials, and training. MiRegistry houses a statewide calendar of professional development offerings and will promote and support personal growth along a career pathway. Join the MiRegistry team in this session for a look at how the registry can support you as a professional!

Carla Rogg, ProSolutions Training

Get inspired! Become your best "YOU" by aligning your values and actions with your goals. This informative, motivational presentation engages you with "Power Challenges" - practical tools to empower yourself and become a more effective leader.

Melissa Mosley, The Early Childhood Investment Corporation & Nicole Kretzschmer, The Early Childhood Investment Corporation

Get the most up to date information on how COVID-19 is impacting the rating process, upcoming changes to professional development indicators, helpful tips and tricks on navigating the system, and what is coming next for Great Start to Quality. 

Althea Wilson, WISD & Javon Jason, WISD

We will examine the brain science behind bias formation, explore types of biases, personal biases, how we demonstrate them, who they may impact, and our capacity to rethink our biases using the change process.

Scott Lesnick, CSP

The world has changed professionally and personally. Not since 9-11 have we been challenged to change how we live, work and socialize. None of us are the same now that a pandemic has shown us a new normal. People are uncertain, scared and worried about their jobs. To retain your talent, you must understand the effect change has on talent or risk losing them to someone else who care for, educate, and work with young children. Address concerns openly and the massive impact it has will increase retention, grow productivity, lower stress and health issues, as well strengthen communications. We understand that change is a constant and it’s our job as leaders to assist staff who are struggling, give them the tools and let them know they’re not alone. From workplace innovation and remote technology to increasing enrollment and a focused and strong culture. Change comes in many forms. Sometimes, it’s organizational change- health concerns. Or, it may be uncertainty in your industry, more disruption, more competition. And, it can be the people side; how to cope. Fear and anxiety, new management new staff and new roles can be an opportunity for growth. Plus, an opportunity for additional learning and possible advancement too.

Gina Garner

Recent changes in Michigan's teacher certification structure include extending lower elementary certification to preschool and expanding early childhood certification to cover birth-kindergarten. This session will review what this means to the field, look at a timeline of implementation, and provide an opportunity to ask state representatives questions about the certification changes.

Jennifer Davis, Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children

Participants will be provided with an overview of the CDA credential process to help meet their educational professional goals. We will discuss how to apply to the council for professional recognition, how to apply for a scholarship, eligibility requirements, potential costs, and more!

Dianna Erickson, Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children

Hear an overview of the early childhood education degree continuum and what T.E.A.C.H. scholarships are available for different levels of education. Scholarship eligibility and requirements, and potential costs to recipients and employers outlined. Learn about the application process at the school and scholarship level, and the CDA credentialing process.

Due to current funding priorities, we are not accepting new Master’s Degree Scholarship applications at this time

Elaine Meyer, Oakland Schools

The draft version of the revised position paper on Multi-Tiered Structures of Support for Early Childhood will be reviewed.  This paper outlines recommended evidence-based practices for MTSS and the important nuances unique to young children and their families.  

Dr. Rhonda Provoast, Macomb ISD

Come on a guided tour of the new redesigned MI School Data portal, the home for Michigan's educational data. Explore the Early Childhood menus to access demographic and performance data. See how to search students by early childhood programs and explore their educational success. Check out the new features now available to connect PK programs to third grade M-STEP with assessment and performance comparisons.

Tara Becker-Utess, Ingham ISD & Jen Bricarell, Ingham ISD

The Early Math Essentials single out Formative Assessment as a critical component of an elementary mathematics classroom.  This session will walk through the steps of ongoing and planned-for formative assessment that continuously assess children's mathematical thinking using observation and discussion.

Kari Momcilovich, Loy Norrix Child Care Center

This training will explore different ways to market your childcare program. We will also discuss how to manage your enrollment and your wait list. 

Thomasa Bond, State of Michigan

The best leaders are individuals that utilize their power with understanding. Building a dream team will happen when leaders and managers, communicate, respect, and acknowledge their employees as team players. Participants will gain information needed to build their dream team by recruiting, hiring, training, and retaining the right person for the position and the center. 

Robin Zeiter, Michigan Department of Education

Students in Career & Technical Education programs need center-based field placements to help them earn their early childhood or youth development credential.  A partnership with your program could prove to be mutually beneficial.

Elizabeth Powers, Towsley Children's House

Do you have challenging behaviors in your classroom?  Join me for a journey about how to use risk taking activities, humor, and a daily routine to adapt and redirect challenging behaviors.  We will also discuss what risk taking and routine look like during these challenging times!    

Olivia Wendorf, Michigan State University

Have you heard of anti-bias before? Confused about where to start? In this session we will be going through some of the basics and learn how to apply them in our infant and toddler classrooms. 

Kyle Curtis, Farmington Public Schools

This session will review strategies and suggestions to deal with behaviors such as anxiety, aggression, non compliance and temper tantrums.

Michelle Burkhard, Grow By 1

This fast-paced session will help you understand emotions on a different level than ever before. Learn how your emotions affect the children and staff you serve and your quality assessment ratings. Participants will be challenged to use several different strategies to manage their own emotions in order to help children manage their emotions. 

Nicole Greiter, Ingham ISD & Megan Chumbley, Ingham ISD

Whether your program has a PBIS system in place or is just considering it, this session is for you. Explore the relationship between children's social-emotional development and challenging behavior. What can we as adults do to set our children up for success?

Sara Deyarmond, Our Savior Lutheran School & Catie Berg, Our Savior Lutheran School

Children with trauma need high-quality Preschool experiences in order to be prepared for Kindergarten, but many are suspended or expelled from Early Childhood Programs due to challenging behaviors. Learn how to identify trauma in children, strategies for managing trauma behaviors, how to partner with families of children with trauma, and tools for helping children self-regulate in the classroom.

Corah Watson, Morning Star Child Care

Children learn in different ways and behavioral issues can arise from not understanding the needs of children in terms of sensory. This is a training that combines zones of regulation and brain works to help children and teachers identify issues and work through them

Gloria Sherman, Parenting and Teaching with G.L.O.

COVID-19 drastically changed everyone's life. Learn strategies to provide emotional, social and cognitive support to promote resilience. Use the principles of connecting, aspiring, rewiring and empowering (C.A.R.E.)

Angela Bayer-Persico, World of Angela

Trauma-informed care is a model for understanding and compassionately working with little ones have been affected by the consequences of toxic stress or trauma. Our lives have all been changed to a new normal.  As adults we have felt the strain and pressures.  Little humans have been subjected to an ACE that will be impacting them for many years.  This workshop will teach strategies to help you work with the children in your care.  

Angela Bayer-Persico, World of Angela

La atención basada en el trauma es un modelo para la comprensión y el trabajo compasivo con los pequeños que se han visto afectados por las consecuencias del estrés tóxico o el trauma. Nuestras vidas han cambiado a una nueva normalidad. Como adultos hemos sentido la tensión y las presiones. Los pequeños humanos han sido sometidos a un ACE que los afectará durante muchos años. Este taller le enseñará estrategias para ayudarlo a trabajar con los niños bajo su cuidado.

Jessica Martin, McMillen Health

Dental disease is the most common chronic childhood disease. Yet dental care remains the most frequently cited unmet health need for children in the United States. Caries in young children can get worse quickly. It leads to pain; sepsis; and chronic ear, nose, and throat infections. Children with dental decay are more likely to miss and perform poorly in school. Caries in school-age children account for over 51 million hours of missed school each year. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted oral health around the globe, in addition to fueling unhealthy eating and drinking habits, the pandemic has also severely disrupted self-care routines, dentistry services, and access to care.  

Meagan Shedd, Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems

Farm to Early Care and Education can effectively support young children's learning and growth, but particularly social-emotional development. This training identifies how farm to ECE is part of existing practices with participants identifying strategies to incorporate farm to ECE in their settings that support social emotional development across their settings, thinking about how these strategies can also be consistent with recent CDC guidelines.

Bagvati Yedur, State of Michigan

The session will highlight the various licensing rules in a classroom to support a safe, developmentally appropriate environment for the toddlers. The participants will gain an understanding of the procedures, programming and postings in a toddler room

Bern Dempsey, Special Education Mediation Services & Diane Kullis, Special Education Mediation Services

Communication in special education has always played an important role in building collaborative relationships between families and schools. When we communicate with each other we build better teams which result in improved educational outcomes for students. Covid-19 has presented us with a unique opportunity to create and/or improve family-school partnerships. Now more than ever before we need to work together. This workshop will provide you with communication and collaboration strategies and help you learn how to build stronger, more effective family-school relationships.

Lydia Bowers, Speaker & Author

Not every family has Baby Shark, Mommy Shark, and Daddy Shark! In order to be welcoming and supportive of all children in our care, we need to evaluate how we are welcoming and supporting families. Practice ways to evaluate programs and classrooms, and gain resources for making your space safe for all families. 

Heidi Harris, Spring Arbor University & University of Arizona Global & Suzanne Gabli, Building Blocks Preschool

Despite credible research to support a constructivist-based approach in early childhood programs, policymakers continued to push for a more academic-based philosophy in an effort to reach standardized testing goals. Reggio Emilia, a constructivist-based early childhood philosophy that originated in Northern Italy, has been shown to be an excellent model to facilitate optimum learning in young children. The purpose of this presentation is to share the results of a research study conducted that investigated parental experiences when choosing the constructivist-based early childhood program, Reggio Emilia, for their children and to explore parents' perceived benefits after their children attended. Five parents who had enrolled their children at a Reggio Emilia-inspired program, Building Blocks Preschool, for a minimum of 6 months participated. Results indicated parents identified an overall satisfaction for choosing a Reggio Emilia experience for their preschool children. Ten perceived benefits were associated with their children after they attended the Reggio Emilia-inspired program. Findings of the current study favor the choice of a constructivist-based Reggio Emilia-inspired program over alternative options. 

Matt Haviland, Alpha Grand Rapids

A father's role is critical both during and after pregnancy, but do they know this? Are they getting the support they need? We will take a look at how to encourage fathers before the birth of their child, and what we can do to equip them for the journey ahead. 

Tara Hardy, Michigan Learning Channel & Gillian Gainsley, Michigan Learning Channel

The Michigan Learning Channel is a new statewide program from Michigan's PBS stations that offers high-quality distance learning resources to students, teachers, and families. This session will introduce the programs and content available on the platform, demonstrate how to access resources both on television and on the website, and share MLC's plans to engage students and families throughout the summer. Presenters will also share a preview of how the Michigan Learning Channel is expected to grow over the next year and how educators and families can offer feedback and ideas to help shape the program.

Tiffiny Smith, Associate Teacher

In this workshop I will talk to teachers about how to educate their parents on strategies to continue learning at home. This simple and inexpensive tips will help any parent know exactly what approach to take at home, and also what area will be targeted for development. 

Marie R Haywood, Unique Children's Center LLC

The purpose of this training is to teach individuals how to welcome and embrace families from diverse cultures. This will be helpful for directors, teachers, staff, and anyone who interacts with diverse clientele.

Kyle Lewandowski

There is a need for more qualified men in the early childhood field. There are many barriers in preventing men to enter and stay in the field. For our classrooms to be inclusive and accepting we must understand that toys do not have gender identities.  We also need to educate staff, families and communities on the importance of men in the field. 

Erica Schrodt, Gretchen's House & Molly Davis, Gretchen's House

Ever wondered how to help the young children you work with "walk in someone else's shoes"? We will talk about the research behind developing empathy in young children and look at tools that caregivers can use to help scaffold this skill for children of various developmental levels. 

Jenny Koenigsknecht, Early On Michigan & Laura Goldthwait, Michigan Department of Education

Do you know what to do if a child in your care is not meeting their developmental milestones or has a pre-existing health condition? Early On® Michigan offers early intervention services for families who have infants and toddlers, birth to three years of age, with developmental delay(s) and/or disabilities. Research has shown that by addressing delays early on - especially between birth and age 3 - we can more effectively impact a child's development, even into adulthood. In addition, children ages 3 through 5 with developmental concerns or difficulty learning may be eligible for preschool special education services and support. Build Up Michigan helps parents and their young children get additional educational support as they learn the skills needed to enter kindergarten.

Kaleena Wiseman, More Precious Than Rubies

Children who have experience trauma are 15x more likely to attempt suicide, 10x more likely to experience behavior problems, 10x more likely to have learning disabilities, 4x more likely to have drugs or alcohol problems, 3x more likely to experience depression, and 2x more likely to experience poverty. 
However, there is hope. All it takes is one adult that is invested in that child to make a difference, and as early childhood professionals we are perfectly set up to be that positive adult. 
This training is in two parts and will go over what trauma is, how it affects children, and how we as ECE professionals can respond to make a difference. 

Sisi Dong Brinn, LENA

The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted many challenges in our society, particularly in how we care for and support young children and their families. Stress associated with the pandemic continues to be wide-ranging and to impact all the adults in children's lives, as well as children themselves. Research shows that a focus on maintaining positive interactions can help reduce stress for everyone and build responsive relationships, a key component in boosting resilience.

Paige Prudhomme, Child Development and Learning Laboratory-Central Michigan University & Anastasia Bristley, Child Development and Learning Laboratory-Central Michigan University

Follow our journey as we continue to focus on providing children with a variety of experiences with various art materials.

Christina Mirtes, Eastern Michigan University

This session focuses on how the pandemic has impacted in-person preschool and kindergarten, the decline in enrollment preschool and kindergarten, the increase in the use of technology due to virtual learning environments. It discusses how many families have struggled and how thousands of our youngest children are missing out on DAP hands-on experiences during the critical formative years in brain development birth-age 5 that naturally occur in high-quality ECE programs. We need to consider the possible short-term and long-term effects and what has been lost in early education for our children over the last year. Lastly, practical applications to share with families on how to best support development of the whole child during these times and considerations as they make decisions about moving forward beyond the pandemic. 

Julie Bak, ONP-International

All emotions are good. We will explore how to work with children to understand what they are feeling. Learning to identify a feeling is the beginning of learning to control our emotions.
Anger, Sadness ( loss ), Anxiety and Happiness. With hands-on ideas for you to use in your classroom. Hand out, and resources will be supplied.

Rose Pardiac, Development Centers

Tired, hungry, sad, happy, excited, bored. These are just some of the emotions we feel all the time, every day. How important is it for children to understand emotions and get through their day? We will learn how to understand children's emotional development and its relationship to developmental growth.