Early CHOICES

08/12/2026

Be sure to check out the professional development opportunities we have in store for the upcoming school year! You can view and register for events at eclre.org/events

Looking for additional opportunities? Stay tuned for announcements about even more upcoming opportunities, including new online learning modules, in-person events for families, and more. We look forward to working alongside all of you in the year ahead!

07/14/2026

Join Illinois SLD Support Project for the ITAPS Fall Virtual Institute. (Early CHOICES will be presenting!)

The 3rd Annual Illinois Technical Assistance Projects Virtual Institute (ITAPS) will feature practical, strategy-focused sessions for educators who support students with IEPs, including general and special education teachers, instructional coaches, interventionists, related service providers, paraprofessionals, and administrators. Topics include instructional strategies, executive function, behavior, data, transition, autism, and more.

Learn more here: https://reg.learningstream.com/reg/event_page.aspx?ek=0111-0030-16138fdc735c4b33ba7ef279e288c925&fbclid=IwY2xjawTDMFRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFNZUVXUm9peWFNcTY0NFJ2c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvD0D1IC16h62XaNLRhpgBDzENPlrc_OCTHJOwCJnZ1JrN4-q8a8MKVQlu6r_aem_GYirWGlVsKnU08rAsMEIfg

07/10/2026

On Tuesday, the Early CHOICES team came together for a full day of planning and preparing for the year ahead. All of us left so energized and ready to get to work. We are really excited for all the things we have in store!

(Oh! And we have matching sweaters now!)

07/09/2026

Thank you to again everyone who attended the 2026 Summer Inclusion Institute! We are so incredibly grateful to our presenters, partners, and attendees for making this year's institute such a meaningful experience. We can't wait for next year!

07/08/2026

Early CHOICES has been planning for the upcoming school year and we can't wait to share what's in store!

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for announcements about upcoming learning opportunities, including new professional development, communities of practice, online learning modules, and more.

We look forward to working alongside all of you in the year ahead!

07/06/2026

We were thrilled to connect with families during our "Advocating for My Young Child with a Disability" evening learning opportunity earlier this month!

This event provided an opportunity for families to learn more about inclusion, access resources, and engage in meaningful conversations about advocating for their children with disabilities.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the event a success. We value the important role families play in building inclusive communities and look forward to continuing these connections!

06/26/2026

Planning for next school year? Now is the perfect time to connect with Early CHOICES! Reach out now to start planning how we can support your team in creating high-quality inclusive opportunities for all children.

Email us at [email protected]

Visit our website at www.eclre.org

06/25/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2026 Summer Inclusion Institute!

Over two days, participants engaged in learning, networking, and sharing strategies to strengthen inclusive practices across programs, communities, and systems.

We are so grateful to our presenters, partners, and attendees for making this year's institute such a meaningful experience.

We can't wait to see you next year!

06/18/2026

Will you be at either of these events on Monday (June 22nd)? We'll be there sharing information about building inclusive systems at the state, community, and program level! Stop by and say "hello" :) and grab some resources to share with you team!

150th AAIDD Annual Meeting
Poster Reception - 5:30-7:00 PM
Systems Change for Preschool Inclusion at a State Level

Building What Works: 50 Years of IDEA
Conference Presentation - 10:00 AM
Building Inclusion Leadership Teams in Early Childhood Systems
(in collaboration with STAR NET Region II & VI)

06/11/2026

It was lovely to connect with team's like the JMECC Community Outreach Inclusion Program at this year's Summer Inclusion Institute!

We're so grateful to all the attendees who participated and furthered Illinois' commitment to inclusion in early childhood programs.

If you also took pictures at SII 2026, we'd love to see them! Feel free to tag us or send a message.

Be on the lookout for more reflections and highlights from this year's conference! We can't wait to see you all again next year!

This week our Community Outreach Inclusion team attended the Summer Inclusion Institute hosted by Early Choices in Bloomington, IL! Some members from our VEC Alliance also joined us to attend trainings focused on inclusive practices, participate in collaborative planning time, and sit in on a panel discussion.

¡Esta semana, nuestro equipo de Community Outreach Inclusion asistió al Summer Inclusion Institute organizado por Early Choices en Bloomington, Illinois! También nos acompañaron algunos miembros de nuestra VEC Alliance para participar en sesiones de capacitación centradas en prácticas de inclusión, colaborar en la planificación conjunta, y asistir a un panel de discusión.