60th Annual AECA Conference

Start
10/12/2022
8:00 AM
End
10/15/2022
4:00 PM
Location
2 Riverfront Place, North Little Rock, AR
Spaces left
132

Registration

(depends on selected options)

Base fee:

Member 1 Day Only – $50.00
From 6/10-9/15, members may register to attend one day of the conference for $50.
Member 1 Day Only Late Registration – $65.00
From 9/16-10/15, members may register to attend one day of the conference for $65.
Member Full Conference – $95.00
From 7/1-9/16, members may register to attend the full conference for $95.
Member Full Conference Early Bird – $85.00
From 6/9-6/30, members can register for the full conference for a special early bird rate of $85.
Member Full Conference Late Registration – $105.00
After 9/15, members may register to attend the full conference for $105.
Non-Member 1 Day Only – $85.00
From 6/10-9/15, non-members may register to attend one day of the conference for $85.

Only choose this option if you are *not* an AECA Member.
Non-Member 1 Day Only Late Registration – $100.00
After 9/15, non-members may register to attend one day of the conference for $100.

Only choose this option if you are *not* a member of AECA.
Non-Member Full Conference – $135.00
From 7/1-9/15, non-members may register to attend the full conference for $135.

Only choose this option if you are *not* an AECA Member.
Non-Member Full Conference Early Bird – $125.00
From 6/9-6/30, non-members may register to attend the full conference for a special early bird price of $125.
Non-Member Full Conference Late Registration – $145.00
After 9/15, non-members may register to attend the full conference for $145.

Only choose this option if you are *not* a member of AECA.
PRECONFERENCE REGISTRATION ONLY
Use this registration if you are ONLY attending preconference sessions and not the regular conference.
You must also select the specific preconference session while registering.
Session Presenter - Full Conference – $47.50
This is a special rate for lead presenters that turned in proposals accepted by the due date.

**LEAD PRESENTERS ONLY**
Student Member 1 Day Only – $45.00
From 6/10-9/15, student members may register to attend the conference for one day for $45.
Student Member 1 Day Only Late Registration – $60.00
After 9/15, student members may register to attend one day of the conference for $60.
Student Member Full Conference – $55.00
From 7/1-9/15, student members can register to attend the full conference for $55.
Student Member Full Conference Early Bird – $45.00
From 6/9-6/30, student members may register to attend the full conference for an early bird price of $45.
Student Member Full Conference Late Registration – $65.00
After 9/15, student members may register to attend the full conference for $65.

Welcome to the 60th Annual AECA Conference!

AECA is pleased to announce this year's face to face conference in North Little Rock. The 2022 conference theme is BeYOUtiful. Our profession excels at cultivating EMPATHY, striving for EQUITY, providing EFFECTIVE experiences and EMPOWERING everyone. As early childhood professionals, we have reason to be proud. We want our communities to see our strength and be encouraged for the future.In the past, the AECA has attracted hundreds of attendees. We hope that trend will continue as we reconvene this year. This will be the 60th anniversary of our gatherings. That is something to celebrate!

The 2022 conference will be October 12-15, 2022, at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel in North Little Rock, AR. Wednesday will be a pre-conference session day with the regular general and breakout sessions from Thursday through Saturday. The Wyndham has been an awesome partner to work with us through the pandemic, and our last conference there in 2019 was an unqualified success. The hotel has kept their room rates at a price that will save you a significant amount of money over similar rooms in the metro area. We are planning an exciting conference, and we hope you can join us.

MEMBERSHIP
If you are not a member of AECA or if your membership needs renewal, please join or renew BEFORE you register for the conference. This year you can join/renew and register for the conference as a member for less money than by registering as a non-member. And the membership system will only allow you to register for conference at member rates if your membership is current. It’s easy to join! Just go to the membership page of the website and click Join Us. For just $39 ($25 for students), you will receive a year’s membership in AECA, as well as the Southern Early Childhood Association. Once you join and pay, you can return to this site and register for the conference.

HOTEL
The Wyndham Riverfront Hotel has provided a block of rooms for AECA conference participants for $104 (plus taxes) per night for up to two guests. Attendees may directly reserve a hotel room by visiting this web link:
https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/groups/hr/arkansas-early-childhood-assoc-aeca-2022

Or you may call the hotel directly at 501-371-9000. The hotel address is 2 Riverfront Place, North Little Rock, AR 72114.

DIRECTOR LUNCHEONS - UPDATE

Director's Luncheons have been filled. We look forward to seeing all of our directors next week!

PRECONFERENCE
For those who can join us, we are offering the opportunity to attend exclusive pre-conference sessions on Wednesday, October 12. These sessions, led by state early childhood experts, will offer participants the latest in early childhood trends, knowledge and skills. Sessions are $30-60 depending on the length of the session. Lunch at the hotel will be provided from 12:00-1:00 for all paid preconference participants. Here are this year's preconference sessions:

FULL DAY SESSIONS – 9:00-12:00 & 1:00-4:00 - $60.00 each session

An Insight into Children with Trauma Stephanie Eddy & Jenny Franklin, Dawson Education Cooperative

An Insight into Children with Trauma is a six-hour professional development training for classroom educators. This session brings new awareness to our current trauma epidemic and building healthy, healing relationships through self-regulation, connections and resilience interventions that have the power to hear individuals, community and generations of those who suffer. The session will be an interactive learning experience, and participants will receive free supplementary materials.

The Growing Brain Barbara Gilkey & Tricia Reid, UA Early Care and Education Projects

The Growing Brain is one of the trainings UA ECEP has developed in conjunction with Zero to Three to teach our state’s practitioners the facts around brain development they need to know for the classroom. Here we will present two of those sessions for PDR credit—Brain Basics (morning) and Factors Affecting Brain Growth and Development (afternoon).

HALF DAY (MORNING) – 9:00-12:00 - $30.00 each session

Red Thread Coaching: Weaving a Tapestry of Strengths Jill Gunderman & Diana Courson, A-State Childhood Services

Red Thread Coaching is about weaving together ideas and strategies from business, psychology, and education, coaches and supervisors. In this session, we will explore the important red threads that should be at the heart of our work with children and families.

Rediscovering the Joy in Our Work Sue Remfrey & Gaynell Jamison, A-State Childhood Services

Is joy different than happiness? Where does it come from and how do you recognize it? Come join our conversation on how you can reignite the joy in your leadership. For Directors, Administrators and ECE Leadership.

HALF DAY (AFTERNOON)- 1:00-4:00 - $30.00 each session

At Least Five Things We’ve Learned about Virtual Coaching Mandi Edmonds, Kairi Elmore, Cindy Thompson, and Julie Yarberry, A-State Childhood Services

This session will invite participants to think about the benefits of virtual coaching, share what they have learned from experience, and compile a list of tips for effective virtual coaching.

Using the PITC Approach for Infants and Toddlers Who Have Special Needs Meghan Foster & Katayoun Zadeh, A-State Childhood Services

Join with other infant and toddler educators as we reflect on personal and societal attitudes toward disability, share our appreciation of individuality, and think together about partnering with families and multi-disciplinary teams. (For Infant-Toddler Teachers and Administrators)

TWO-HOUR (AFTERNOON) - 2:00-4:00 - FREE

An Overview of Step Up to WAGE$ Laura House, Arkansas Early Childhood Association
(LUNCH NOT PROVIDED)

Our AECA WAGE$ Program Manager will be providing an overview of Step Up to WAGE$, our education-based wage supplement initiative available to teaching staff in any licensed center or family child care home. Come and learn how you might be able to temporarily supplement wages for your staff with this program. Bring your questions.