Growing the Future, Together

About the Event

This inaugural event was held on March 22 and 23, 2023. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make this event successful!

The 2023 ECE Leaders Summit highlighted holistic concepts in early childhood education that focus on whole child and are critical to successful outcomes. It included a variety of content, covering important topics such as whole child education, two-generational (2Gen) impact, and developing highly effective educators and leaders. It was an important professional development event as we continued the conversation of growing the future of early childhood education in Pennsylvania, together.

Topic Tracks

Each track featured panel discussions from a mix of national or state experts, researchers, or practitioners.

Instruction & Leadership – This track focused on classroom instruction and professional supports for educators.
Whole Child – This track discussed different facets of whole child support in and out of the classroom and examines ways to measure whole child outcomes.
Two-Generational (2GEN) Impact – This track focused on ways to support children and their families simultaneously, helping achieve their goals and creating lasting impact.

View track details

Instruction & Leadership:

Breakout #1: This session focused on the design and implementation of professional development and coaching for supporting highly effective educators.
- Speakers:
  Dr. Lydia Carlis – Acelero
  Judy Jablon – Leading for Children
  Including one additional panelist member
Breakout #2: This session looked at the value of play-based learning vis-à-vis appealing to children’s natural curiosity and interests, as well as long-term outcomes.
- Speakers:
  Toscha Blalock – Trust for Learning
  Maureen Condon – University of Colorado, Denver
  Kristen Nowak – Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning

Whole Child:

Breakout #1 (Morning): This session addressed how to best integrate health services to foster children’s healthy physical, mental, and emotional development, creating the foundation for long-term health.
- Speakers:
  Dr. Jeanette Ramer – Penn State Health
  Dr. James Waxmonsky – Penn State Health
  Dr. Maria Marquez – Mary’s Center
  Dr. James Venza – Lourie Center for Children’s Social Emotional Health and Well-Being
Breakout #2 (Afternoon): This session focused on assessing whole child outcomes in developmentally appropriate ways, as well as the value of continuous improvement for programs, children, and families.
- Speakers:
  Dr. Jennifer Tschantz – SRI International
  Dr. Amanda Cross – University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development
  Danielle Mangene – Bennett Family Center at Penn State University

Two-Generational (2GEN) Impact:

Breakout #1 (Morning): This session explored the value of taking a strengths-based approach to working with families experiencing poverty, breaking down biases, and inviting families in.
- Speakers:
  Dr. Ann Gantt – Weigel Counseling
  Laura Gunter – AVANCE
  Sarah Haight – Ascend at the Aspen Institute
Breakout #2 (Afternoon): This session examined how home visiting can help ensure families have supports and resources to create nurturing and stable home environments for children.
- Speakers:
  Dr. Kathy Pillow Price – University of Arkansas Early Care and Education Projects
  Kerry Caverly – Parents as Teachers
  Malkia Singleton Ofori-Agyekum – ParentChild+

Keynote Speakers

In addition to our panel speakers, we were pleased to welcome Ralph Smith, Walter S. Gilliam, Ph.D, Junlei Li, Ph.D, and Nicole Lynn Lewis as this year’s keynote speakers.

Ralph Smith

Ralph Smith serves as founding managing director of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, a network of more than 350+ communities representing 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada — with 5,200 local organizations and more than 500 state and local funders (including over 200 United Ways).

Learn more about Ralph

Previously, as executive vice president for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Smith led the Making Connections initiative, a comprehensive effort to improve outcomes for children by strengthening families and neighborhoods. Smith served on the Foundation’s Senior Leadership Team from 1994 through 2016.

Walter S. Gilliam, Ph.D

Walter S. Gilliam, Ph.D., is the executive director of the Buffet Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska and Richard D. Holland Presidential Chair in Early Childhood Development. Dr. Gilliam is vice president of ZERO TO THREE, a past president of Child Care Aware of America, board treasurer for the Irving Harris Foundation, a board director for First Children’s Finance and All Our Kin, and a former senior advisor to the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Learn more about Walter

He was previously the Elizabeth Mears & House Jameson Professor of Child Psychiatry and Psychology at the Yale University Child Study Center, where he maintains a position of professor adjunct, and director of the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy. He is frequently quoted in major national and international news outlets, and actively provides consultation and invited testimony to decision-makers in the U.S. and other countries. He was co-recipient of the prestigious 2008 Grawemeyer Award in Education for the co-authored book, “A Vision for Universal Preschool Education.”

Junlei Li, Ph.D

Junlei Li, Ph.D., is the program chair of the Human Development and Education and the Saul Zaentz Chair in Early Childhood Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research and practice focus on supporting the helpers – those who serve children and families on the frontlines of education and social services.

Learn more about Junlei

Studying orphanages, child care, schools, and youth programs, he develops the “Simple Interactions” approach to help affirm what ordinary people do extraordinarily well with children in everyday moments. His work is significantly inspired by the pioneering work of Fred Rogers when he served as the co-director and Rita M. McGinley Chair for Early Learning and Children’s Media at the Fred Rogers Center. Li considers himself a proud Pennsylvania “native,” having lived and worked for two decades in Pittsburgh.

Nicole Lynn Lewis

Nicole Lynn Lewis is the founder and chief executive officer of Generation Hope, a nonprofit organization that engages education and policy partners to drive systemic change and provides direct support to teen parents in college as well as their children through holistic, two-generation programming to ensure all student parents have the opportunities to succeed and experience economic mobility.

Learn more about Nicole

A former teen mother who put herself through the College of William & Mary with her three-month-old daughter in tow, Nicole now works every day to change the statistic that less than 2 percent of teen mothers will earn their degrees before age 30. She has been featured on major news outlets including “Good Morning America,” CNN, “NBC Nightly News,” and The Washington Post. Nicole also serves as an Ascend National Advisor with the Aspen Institute and is a nationally known speaker and critically acclaimed author of “Pregnant Girl.”

General FAQs

Why is Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning hosting this event?

CHS is dedicated to creating high-quality learning communities that nurture, educate, and empower children and families in social and financial need. By bringing together leaders in child and family advocacy, we hope to inspire each other and continue building relationships that help young learners throughout Pennsylvania thrive as we grow the future, together.

Who is the event intended for?

The event is intended for leaders and professionals working with young children and families in a variety of settings. This includes educators, coaches, site leaders, principals, district leaders, social workers, health care providers, community partners, and more.

Is there a fee to attend the event?

No, there is no registration fee. The event is cost-free for registered attendees. Attendees are only responsible for their overnight accommodations if needed.

What are the health protocols for this event?

Wearing a mask is optional. However, we ask that attendees who are ill or awaiting a COVID-19 test result not attend the event as a courtesy.

Accommodations

Is there preferred accommodation I can book if I choose to attend both days of the event?

Yes. Accommodations are available, at the attendee’s expense, at Hershey Lodge in Hershey, PA. Please book your room by Thursday, February 23 to take advantage of our rate.

What parking arrangements are available at the venue?

Parking is available on-site. You can go to the venue website for more information.

Credits

Am I required to bring specific documentation to obtain the continuing education credits?

If you require Act 48, you will need to sign in with your PA PPID#. Once the event is over, we will create a certificate that you can take back to your organization to report your Act 48 hours to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. We are unable to report hours on behalf of our attendees. If your organization will not report your hours for you, you will be unable to obtain Act 48 hours from our event. Act 48 and CEUs are not offered for Wednesday night.

CHS intends to also provide social workers with Social Work CEUs and will do so at no cost. Attendees will be notified once the credits are approved through PA School Social Work Association.

Are there additional forms or paperwork that must be completed once the sessions are over to obtain the continuing education credits in line with my certification?

If you require Act 48, you will need to sign in with your PA PPID#, along with the number of hours of training you attended during the event. This must be done before you leave the event. We will then create a certificate that you can take back to your organization to report your Act 48 hours to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. We are unable to report hours on behalf of our attendees. Act 48 and CEUs are not offered for Wednesday night.

CHS intends to also provide social workers with Social Work CEUs and will do so at no cost. Attendees will be notified once the credits are approved through PA School Social Work Association.

Additional questions?

Please reach out to [email protected] with questions and a member of our team will connect with you.

For Interested Families

Want to learn more about us? Discover the CHS Experience.

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