Conference Keynote & Workshops
Introducing DEC2025 Keynote Speaker
Karen Walrond
Attend the Keynote and Opening Session on Tuesday, October 7th, 2025
4:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Karen Walrond is an author, leadership consultant, speaker, and attorney dedicated to cultivating values-based, compassionate leadership. Trained in positive psychology coaching through the Wholebeing Institute, she integrates the science of well-being, research-based assessments, and personal narrative to help individuals and organizations lead with clarity, courage, and purpose.
Karen’s work bridges research, storytelling, and identity, guiding leaders to harness their strengths, deepen their impact, and create inclusive change. Her coaching and workshops support sustainable leadership rooted in joy, integrity, and justice.
Karen’s bestselling book, The Lightmaker’s Manifesto: How to Work for Change Without Losing Your Joy, beckons readers toward lives of integrity, advocacy, conviction, and joy with a powerful framework for joyful activism. Through reflections, practical exercises, and conversations with leaders like Valarie Kaur, Brené Brown, Tarana Burke, and Zuri Adele, the book helps readers align their values with their advocacy and avoid burnout while making meaningful change.
Karen’s other books include Radiant Rebellion—a 2024 Nautilus Award winner that challenges ageism and celebrates empowered aging—and The Beauty of Different, a research-informed tribute to authenticity and belonging. Her forthcoming book, In Defense of Dabbling (Fall 2025), explores how curiosity and creativity can spark resilience and transformation.
Karen and her family split their time between Houston, Texas, and Bath, United Kingdom. She is a profoundly average potter, filmmaker and hula hooper.
Deep-Dive Conference Sessions
Workshops throughout the Week
Attend these three-hour workshops on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
(Open to all attendees with Full Conference Registration)
Building Blocks for Teaching Young Children in Inclusive Settings
The Building Blocks framework (Sandall et al., 2024) is an evidence based framework for supporting children with disabilities in inclusive early learning settings. This interactive workshop will give participants the tools and resources needed to create plans for supporting specific children in their settings, including assessment forms, planning documents, and checklists.
Presented by: Ariane Gauvreau, Julie Ashmun, Kristin Ainslie
Building Language and Literacy
Participants will develop high-impact play and oracy strategies to elevate multilingual children and families in early care and education, including those identified as English Learners with disabilities. Experiential learning will provide models and practice opportunities for the following evidence-based strategies grounded in play theory that can be applied in Birth-5.
Presented by: Lindsay Meeker, Eduardo Perez
Building the Profession: Linking Essential Skills Through Teacher Support
This interactive session examines the link between essential skills (e.g., self-awareness, active listening, problem-solving), retention, and EI/ECSE standards/RPs. Through discussion and shared resources, participants will explore support for preservice and in-service teachers, addressing bias and inequities while creating a tailored action plan for their context.
Presented by: Amanda Passmore, Heather Walter
Burnout to Well-Being: Practical Strategies for Early Childhood Programs
Educator well-being impacts child outcomes, retention, and program stability. Participants will complete the ProQOL, analyze burnout drivers, and engage in PERMA-based well-being exercises. Through discussion and hands-on practice, they will explore evidence-based strategies that can be applied immediately to foster a healthier workplace.
Presented by: Erin Wennerstrom, Anders Kinavey Wennerstrom
Considering Coaching: Illuminating Approaches to Coaching in EI/ECSE
In this session, we will discuss different approaches to coaching and their similarities and differences. We will share a tool for analyzing coaching frameworks to discern which components of coaching are used in these approaches. This tool will also support administrators, practitioners, and others in choosing a coaching approach aligned with their needs and audiences.
Presented by: Jessica Hardy, Serena Wheeler, Scott Tomchek
From Challenging to Connected: How Belonging Impacts Children’s Behavior
What if we viewed challenging behaviors as opportunities for connection? This session explores how belonging shapes development and how shifting perspectives creates caring, inclusive environments. Through reflection and practical strategies, participants will learn how co-creating belonging can transform challenging moments into meaningful opportunities for connection.
Presented by: Jaclyn Joseph, Sally Hansen, Ronald Roybal
Supporting Inclusion through Play and Routines: Starting from Developmental
Participants in this session will reflect on the benefits of preschool inclusion and belonging using the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) Early Care and Education Environment (ECEE) inclusion indicators and Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) and design a plan for how the ECEE indicators can be used to support preschool inclusion in their setting.
Presented by: Alissa Rausch, Ben Riepe, Angie VanPolen