The 2020 National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute has been RESCHEDULED for September 1-2, 2020 from 8:30 - 4:30 each day, with Pre-Institute workshops the afternoon of August 31.
Know that our thoughts are with all of you and your families as we weather this emergency together, please stay well and we look forward to being together in September.
While registration for the 20th National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute is currently full, we encourage you to add your name to the Waitlist if you are interested in attending in September. We anticipate some spaces becoming available with the changes in dates.
2020 Theme: Better Together - The Importance of Partnership
The National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute is one of the premier educational opportunities for anyone involved in the care and education of young children with special needs in inclusive settings. Dozens of world-class experts, dozens of groundbreaking sessions, free courses for CEUs—and an enduring impact. For 20 years, the Inclusion Institute has drawn people from across the country and around the globe to Chapel Hill to learn about the latest research findings, models, and resources to guide inclusive policy, professional development and practice; to develop collaborative relationships and cross-agency systems to support early childhood inclusion; and to have the opportunity to meet, learn from and problem solve with peers.
| *CONFIRMED FOR SEPTEMBER* 2020 Keynote Address with Bethany Van Delft Moffi: The Importance of Stories in Family Engagement and Advocacy |  |
*CONFIRMED FOR SEPTEMBER* 2020 Pre-conference Workshops
Dealing with Challenging Behavior: Innovative Tier 1 Strategies for Classroom Teachers by Adam Holland
*This workshop is full. Click HERE to be added to the waitlist.
In this session, we will approach challenging behavior by developing an understanding of children’s motivation. With stories and examples from his own time in the classroom, Dr. Holland will illustrate practical ways to set up a classroom in order to reduce or eliminate challenging behavior and provide strategies for how to handle it when it does pop up. The session will include time for discussion and application as well as opportunities for question and answer.
How to Make Regular Classroom Activities Meaningful for All Children by Robin McWilliam
*This workshop is full. Click HERE to be added to the waitlist.
In the early-childhood inclusive classroom, all activities—planned and unplanned—provide learning opportunities. This workshop will address both how teachers can weave interventions into their regular interactions with children and how specialists (e.g., ECSE, OT, PT, SLP) can help teachers determine needs, arrive at strategies for teachers to carry out, and evaluate the strategies. The workshop is therefore suitable for teachers, supervisors, and specialists. Families and administrators are always a bonus.
Supporting STEM Learning for ALL Children by Douglas Clements and Julie Sarama
*This workshop is full. Click HERE to be added to the waitlist.
Learn about key science, technology, math, and engineering (STEM) concepts for young children and discover strategies and activities you can use to support STEM learning for children with and without disabilities in your classroom or at home. Quality early STEM experiences provide a critical foundation for learning about these disciplines as well as literacy, social-emotional, and motor development. In this interactive and engaging workshop you will have the opportunity to try out STEM activities and consider ways to adapt them to fit the ages and abilities of the children you engage with in your work and daily life.
Wired to Move: Facts and Strategies for Nurturing Boys in an Early Childhood Setting by Constance Walker
*This workshop is full. Click HERE to be added to the waitlist.
Participants will learn how to support boys of all abilities in the classroom through brain-based teaching and support and through a comprehensive approach. This interactive session will help participants to develop/implement a boy-friendly plan in their individual programs during this session. Participants will be given specific strategies around using a collaborative approach to implement this plan effectively.
*CONFIRMED FOR SEPTEMBER* 2020 Plenary
Inclusion 2.0.2.0: Are We There Yet? by Rhodus Riggins Jr., Harriette Bailey, and Lisa Pullis
Breathe-just breathe. Years of immeasurable tears, passion, research, and advocacy efforts at the local, regional, and even federal levels must call, command, and even demand an answer to this critical question: Are we there yet? This interactive plenary session will dive deeply into this critical question and refrain while lifting essential voices and experiences with an imperative cry: No Inclusion: No Equity!!!
Check back soon for session descriptions!
Sessions on Trauma and Resilience:
The 2020 Inclusion Institute will feature a series of sessions on trauma and resilience, exploring how trauma affects children and families, as well as protective factors that promote resilience. Stay tuned for session descriptions!
Sessions on Challenging Behavior:
Conference attendees are increasingly asking for help in dealing with challenging behavior. We are excited to announce a new series of sessions on this topic. These sessions will cover approaches for working with children exhibiting challenging behaviors in a multi-tiered system of support: exploring how to set up classrooms in ways that promote safety and security for all children, helping practitioners understand the underlying reasons for behavior, and developing strategies to support children with challenging behaviors as they grow in their ability to communicate their needs more effectively.