Are you interested in exploring critical issues impacting early care and education? Are you wondering how you could work more collaboratively within your community to connect early childhood partners (e.g., childcare, schools, community-based organizations, etc.)? Are you eager to connect with other early childhood educators and consider ways of strengthening the early care and education mixed-delivery system in your community?

Consider attending the Early Childhood Summer Summit on Thursday, July 11, 2024, at Keeley’s Banquet Center, 178 Warren Avenue, Portland, Maine.  The summit will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Lunch will be provided. Attending is no cost, and up to 60 individuals can be accommodated.  CEUs will be made available to anyone attending the summit.

The goals of the Early Childhood Summit include:

• To improve alignment and transitions for children and families, foster community-level coordination and collaboration across the mixed-delivery early care and education system, which includes childcare programs, Head Start, and elementary schools.
• Strengthen understanding of evidence-based practices that are critical to leverage across the birth-grade 3 span to promote whole child development.
• Supporting community-based planning and implementation efforts through mini-grants and ongoing technical assistance support.

What will the summit structure be like? 

The summit is funded through Maine’s Preschool Development Renewal Grant. It is jointly sponsored by the Maine Department of Education and the Office of Child and Family Services in Maine’s Department of Human Services.  Individuals may register to attend independently but are encouraged to come with a colleague interested in building community collaborations. The summit’s content will include various keynote addresses and workshop sessions connected to the goals outlined previously.  Topics will include promoting inclusionary practices, addressing challenging behaviors, promoting play as a foundational learning strategy, and promoting smooth transitions from early childhood education programs into public schools for children and families.  Time will also be provided for attendees to work with each other and presenters to develop plans for building collaborative early childhood community teams.

What are the next steps for attendees after attending the Early Childhood Summer Summit?

Individual 2024 Early Childhood Summer Summit attendees will be encouraged to build a community team during the 2024-25 school year. They will be given preference for attending the 2025 ECE Summer Summit.  Teams that attend the 2025 summit will receive $800 mini-grants to implement action plans.  Details about team building will be shared at the summit.

To apply: Complete the application by June 14, 2024. Each individual who plans to attend should complete the registration form. A field is included in the application to note if you plan to attend with a colleague so that we can group you at the summit.

For additional information, please contact Renee Reilly, Maine DOE PDG Manager, at Renee.A.Reilly@maine.gov or Andrea Faurot, OCFS PDG Manager, at Andrea.Faurot@maine.gov.