A Recap of the 2024 Smart Start Conference
The 2024 Smart Start Conference brought together professionals, policymakers, and advocates in early childhood education and development from over 24 states and 3 countries!
Here’s a recap of the week-
Monday, May 6: Preconferences
We kicked off the conference with a full day of preconferences; these sessions were designed to dive deep into specific topics, fostering an environment of intensive learning and collaboration.
Starting Strong: Tools for Effective Family Engagement and Leadership provided agencies with comprehensive, 
user-friendly resources developed by MomsRising and the North Carolina Partnership for Children to support effective family engagement, cross-sector coalition building, and the implementation of best practices.
Our Technical Assistance Preconference brought together new and seasoned Early Care and Education Technical Assistance Providers to discuss their roles with local child care educators and communities. Participants shared experiences, offered advice, and learned skills for relationship-building, personal well-being, and coaching, all while strengthening their network.
Moving Beyond: From Individual Resilience to Organizational and Community Resilience explored the shift from teaching individual resilience skills to creating trauma-informed communities. Guest speakers Chuck Price and Becky Haas led a workshop on trauma-informed organizational assessments and Molly McCambridge and Elizabeth Sager from NC Coalition Against Domestic Violence provided information on primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. Participants mapped out resilience activities they are engaged in with a new lens towards prevention, gaining renewed energy for resilience-building efforts.
Tuesday, May 7: Workshops, an Opening Keynote, and the Governor’s Address
Tuesday began with our first block of workshops. Our tracks this year were:
- Early Care and Education,
- Child Health & Well-being,
- Family Support and Engagement,
- Public Engagement, Fundraising and Management,
- Prenatal through Five Systems Building,
- and the newly introduced Racial Equity track.
Opening Keynote: Our keynote speaker, Darneshia Allen of ZERO TO THREE gave a talk entitled “Meet Me at the Bridge,” which highlighted the importance of building strong relationships within the community and between agencies.
Afternoon Highlights: After a lunch break, attendees reconvened to hear a special address from North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. His passionate speech reaffirmed the state’s commitment to early childhood.
The afternoon continued with additional workshop sessions, a break, and a final workshop block, allowing attendees to maximize their learning and networking opportunities.
Wednesday, May 8: Workshops, Special Sessions, and Networking
We started the day with two ninety-minute workshop blocks that led into lunch.
After lunch, we had an afternoon of special sessions and networking opportunities.
Featured Sessions: Attendees got to choose between three featured sessions that provided in-depth discussions on critical issues:
- “We are at the Cliff: Investments and Solutions to a Multifaceted Problem” focused on addressing the child care crisis with creative federal, state, and community solutions.
- “It Takes a Village: A Continuum of Care for Children and Families” explored the network of services available to support young children and their families.
- “Diving Deep into the Maternal and Infant Health Crisis” examined the current state of maternal and infant health, highlighting innovative solutions.
Flex Block Sessions: Attendees chose from four flex block sessions, including a workout session, a culinary course, and screenings of two documentaries – “Clarissa’s Battle“ and “An Unusual Reason.”
Networking Hour: The day concluded with a networking hour in the sponsor area, providing a relaxed environment for attendees to connect over light appetizers, drinks, and a little line dancing!
Thursday, May 8: Last round of sessions, Closing Lunch, and a Fireside Chat
The final day was marked by morning workshop sessions, followed by a closing lunch. Joe Waters, co-founder and CEO of Capita, joined NCPC President Amy Cubbage for a fireside chat, discussing the broader impact of early childhood care and education on community health and national strength.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the attendees for their enthusiasm and engagement, to our 150+ speakers for sharing their invaluable insights, and to our sponsors for their commitment to supporting the development of early childhood leaders and change-makers.
We hope the knowledge gained, connections made, and inspiration sparked will continue to drive our shared mission forward.
We look forward to continuing this important work together and hope to see you next year.
The 2024 Smart Start Conference was brought to you by All About Books | Kaplan Early Learning Company | Discount School Supply | Community Playthings | Lakeshore Learning | Book Harvest | Lillio | Stem in a Box | MarcoPolo Learning | Teaching Strategies | Wonderschool | Healthy Blue NC | The Discovery Source | The Cemala Foundation | Branagh Group | The Greensboro Convention & Visitors Bureau | The Garden Learning and Play.
Thank you for reading our recap of the 2024 Smart Start Conference.
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