Virtual Early Childhood Conference
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Dear Early Childhood Educators,
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 43nd annual UW-Whitewater Early Childhood Conference! We are unable to gather together in April as we normally would but that will not stop us from having a conference! The theme for this year is Your time. Your Way. Press Play. (Virtual Edition)
Instead of a weekend of live presentations, we will be offering pre-recorded sessions that will be available to participants throughout the month of April. Our goal is to provide access to high-quality PD sessions that you can access at a time and place convenient for you AND offer this at a significantly reduced rate. We are also working with the Registry so that we can offer registry credit for sessions. We hope you will join us for the amazing professional development opportunities at this year’s conference.
As you check out the conference website you will notice a remarkable line up of speakers and topics. We are thrilled to announce that we will kick-off the conference with a LIVE Keynote Session by award winning and best-selling author, Holly Elissa Bruno. Her newest book, Happiness is Running Through the Streets to Find You: Translating Trauma’s Harsh Legacy into Healing, is now available through Exchange Press. Participants will also have the opportunity to view the No Small Matter Documentary and participate in a LIVE discussion with NAEYC President, Ann Terrell.
That’s just a sneak peak of some of the awesome things happening this year. Please check back on this website for updates along with our Facebook page. So, grab some popcorn or a cup of tea and join us to watch sessions when it works for YOU!
Warm Regards,
Kristen Linzmeier
Conference Coordinator
Register Online
Registrations accepted online through April 28, 2021. Conference access available April 1 - 30, 2021.
Participants will use UW-Whitewater's online classroom, Canvas, to work through the conference material (pre-recorded video presentations with handouts and live sessions) at their own pace and interact with each other in online discussion boards. This conference is designed to maximize the capabilities of videoconferencing and online professional development in an informal and self-paced environment. No previous college-level or online learning experience are needed for this conference, and it is open to anyone interested in early childhood education.
Group Registrations
For organizations that would like to register multiple participants at one time, you may register your teachers for the ECC conference by completing a Registration Sponsorship Request: https://www.uww.edu/ce/sponsor. We will send you a group invoice, payable by credit card or check, and request the names and email addresses of the participants you are registering.
Cost Information
All-Access Pass: $59
The registration fee provides an all-access to pass to both live and recorded sessions. Participants can view recorded sessions any time during April 1-30. All sessions are closed captioned. Participants can earn registry hours for both live and recorded sessions.
No refunds are available for this event unless a participant who need to cancel because of COVID illness. A full refund will be given due to COVID illness. All cancellation requests must be submitted to cesevents@uww.edu.
We reserve the right to cancel any event due to low enrollment; in such as case, all fees paid will be refunded.
No discounts for this event.
What People Are Saying
"I loved the conference being virtual this year! I got to veiw more sessions that i normally wouldnt pick and spaced them out all month! At the end of the month i had viewed 31 sessions! Awesome conference this year. I rrally hope you keep it virtual in the years to come! I didnt have to request off and got more then enough continuing ed hours!"
-ECC Virtual Participant
Educators gather to learn and network.
"I was really excited to see the conference being offered virtually this year at the discounted rate. I missed attending the conference for the last several years because it was difficult to make it work with my own small kids at home. The virtual option made it possible for me to attend, gain registry credit, and even prompted discussion about some parenting topics between my husband and I. Thank you for all of your efforts to make the conference happen!." - Angie, 2021
See why participants come to the conference and what sessions they enjoyed.
I was unsure of this format in the beginning, I thought it might be something I would procrastinate. But it was just the opposite. I found that when i had extra time or quiet time I looked forward to finding an interesting workshop no matter what day or time it was. I could be comfortable in my home and not have to spend the extra time driving to Whitewater.
LIVE Presentations
Keynote: Happiness is Running Through the Streets to Find You Even During a Pandemic
Presenter: Holly Elissa Bruno | Wednesday, April 7, 7-8:30pm CST
When the world flips upside down, children need stable, unflappable adults to resaaure them all is well. But who reassures us adults? Traumatic times bring out our worst and our best. Let's together identify hopeful everyday leadership practices to serve as our lighthouse during this pandemic storm. Participants will engage in live discussions and small breakout sessions.
Early Childhood Education is No Small Matter!
Presenter: Ann Terrell | Saturday, April 17, 11:00am CST
Participants can view a screening of the documentary No Small Matter, available April 12-18, and then join us for follow up discussion on this national campaign to bring attention to the importance of early childhood education. There are 24 million children under the age of six in America today. Do you know how many of them have to be taken care of all day, every day, by an adult? All of them. Who provides that care—and how they do it—is the most overlooked, underestimated, and potentially game-changing issue in Wisconsin and America today. No Small Matter is the first feature documentary to lay out the overwhelming evidence for the importance of the first five years, and to reveal how our failure to act on that evidence has resulted in an everyday crisis for American families and a slow-motion catastrophe for our country.
What You Will Need to Attend
- A computer, tablet, or smartphone
- A reliable internet connection (hard-wired connections work best)
- A microphone (optional)
- Webcam (optional)
Conference Information
Login to Online Session
A few days prior to the event you will receive an email indicating the steps you will need to take to join this event. Please contact cesevents@uww.edu if you do not recieve this email 24 hours before the event starts.
By registering for an event, you agree to our Registration Terms and Conditions. UW-Whitewater will hold all registrants responsible for their conduct. Serious misconduct or disruption will lead to immediate dismissal from event. Registrants dismissed from the event will not receive a refund. Please review the Terms and Conditions for more details.
We receive many questions from registrants. Click here to review our frequently asked questions about registering and attending an event.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is committed to equal opportunity in its educational programs, activities and employment policies, for all persons, regardless of race, color, gender, creed, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, marital status, Vietnam-era veteran status, parental status and pregnancy.
If you have any disabling condition that requires special accommodations or attention, please advise us well in advance. We will make every effort to accommodate your special needs.
By registering for this event you understand that the University may take photographs and or videos of event participants and activities. You will be required to agree at the time of registration that the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater shall be the owner of and may use such photographs and or videos relating to the promotion of future events. You will relinquish all rights that you may claim in relation to use of said photographs and/or videos. Any media shared with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on social media or use of its hashtags grants the University use to media for any purpose.
Attention Registry Members!
We will be offering registry/training hours for attending both live and virtual sessions. Credit is available for Wisconsin and Illinois residents.
Credit
If you are interested in receiving credit for attending the conference, please contact Carrie Lencho (lenchoc@uww.edu). You can receive one credit (undergraduate or graduate) for participating in conference sessions with additional written work after the conference. Please note that you will need to register for the conference in addition to paying tuition for the credit.
Early Child Care and Education Program (ECCE)
Year Round
Early Childhood Education 4U (ECE4U)
Year Round
Early Childhood Education
Program Changes
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater reserves the right to make changes in workshops and speakers, or to cancel workshops if enrollment criteria are not met or when conditions beyond our control prevail.
Endorsement of Presenters
We are proud of the diversity that will be exhibited by the presenters at this conference. However, we do not assume responsibility for the information, opinions, products or services shared by the presenters. Please share your comments or concerns on the evaluation form which will be sent electronically following the conference. We also encourage participants to offer presenters compliments when pleased with the content of a presentation.
Want to be a Sponsor?
Looking to sponsor a session or make a donation to the 2021 UW-Whitewater EC Conference? There are many different sponsorship opportunities available. Please contact us if you are interested in being a sponsor.
UW-Whitewater Early Childhood Conference Sponsorship Information
ECC Gold Level Sponsor $10,000 and above
- Use of logo on conference t-shirts
- Use of logo on printed save the date cards
- Individualized Thank You on social media
- Use of logo in email and promotional materials
- Logo on sign in registration area
- Logo on conference website
- Booth space in exhibit hall (Three 30”x6’ tables)
- Sponsorship acknowledgment and thank you on welcome slide in opening and closing events
- Sponsorship acknowledgement on social media
ECC Silver Level Sponsor $2,500 – $9,999
- Individualized Thank You on social media
- Use of logo in email and promotional materials
- Logo on sign in registration area
- Logo on conference website
- Booth space in exhibit hall (Two 30”x6’ tables)
- Sponsorship acknowledgment and thank you on welcome slide in opening and closing events
- Sponsorship acknowledgement on social media
ECC Bronze Level Sponsor $500 – $2,499
- Logo on sign in registration area
- Logo on conference website
- Booth space in exhibit hall (30”x6’ table)
- Sponsorship acknowledgement on social media
ECC Friend: In-Kind Donation or Other gift
- In-kind donations
- Sponsorship acknowledgement on social media
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Please make gifts and sponsorships payable to UW-Whitewater Foundation Inc., Fund #1254: Early Childhood Conference, Purpose: UW-Whitewater EARLY CHILDHOOD CONFERENCE, UW-Whitewater Foundation’s EIN number is 39-6081189.
Mail checks to UW-Whitewater Foundation Attention: ECC - Gail Sauter; 800 W Main St, Whitewater, WI 53190
For additional conference-specific questions, vendor application and information please contact Kristen Linzmeier, Ph.D, UW-Whitewater Early Childhood Conference Coordinator, UW-W Early Childhood Conference Coordinator, Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Education, Winther 4040, 800 W. Main Street, Whitewater, WI. 53190; email linzmeik@uww.edu; phone 262-472-5814.
Thank you to the 2020-21 UW-Whitewater Early Childhood Conference Sponsors
