The 2023 Annual NAEYC Conference was held in Nashville, Tennessee November 13-16th. There were over 7000 attendees, 500 sessions and speakers full of knowledge. The world of Early Care and Education professionals came together for networking, connection, and motivation. This conference brought ECE professionals from around the world to learn more about the world of NAEYC and all it has to offer. This opportunity allowed everyone to regroup, refresh and regain the passion for the field of Early Childhood Education. Whether you are a trainer, provider, teacher, coach, etc everyone was in it for the learning, and new opportunities to take back to the workplace.
What did we learn? We learned the impact that we have on children and families. We gained resources to share with other colleagues and the ones we work with in the field.
Scan the code or click the link below to see one of our favorite new resources!
https://researchconnections.org/
Child Care and Early Education Research Connections (Research Connections) is an online library of research relevant to the work of child care and early education (CCEE) policymakers, consultants, professionals supporting the CCEE workforce, and researchers.
Perhaps the biggest resource we discovered were other professionals who gave their insight and shared their passion for giving all children the best possible start. There were sessions for the new trainer “Building Your Toolkit: Tips for Newbie Trainers..” as well as interesting topics for all trainers such as “Active Learning is for Adults too: How to Promote Professional Development by Encouraging Active Participation and Interaction.” There were offerings for providers, leaders, trainers, policy makers, and everyone else!
The absolute highlight that brought all 7000 attendees together, was the key note speaker, comedian D.J. Pryor. We were so grateful to have him come speak to us, make us laugh, and give us a boost of positive energy. His wife captured such a sweet moment in a video that went viral https://fb.watch/oVCYskLnHZ/. It was inspiring to see someone in another field, give relevance, respect, and attention to Early Childhood Education.
Overall, NAEYC was a wonderful experience. We hope to attend again to participate in the vast experience that Early Childhood Professionals have to share. Maybe next time, we can share too!
If you are interested in attending NAEYC next year(11/6-11/9/2024 in Anaheim ,CA) or learning more follow the link below.