Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children

🚨 Last Call for Award Nominations! 🚨

Do you know an early childhood professional who goes above and beyond for Rhode Island's children, families, and educators? Now is your chance to recognize their impact!

RIAEYC is accepting final nominations for our 2026 Early Childhood Conference Awards:
🏆 Sue Connor Special Friend of Rhode Island's Children – Early Childhood Advocate
🏆 Sue Connor Special Friend of Rhode Island's Children – Early Childhood Educator
🏆 Carol Patnaude Promise Award

These awards celebrate the individuals who inspire, lead, advocate, and make a lasting difference in Rhode Island's early childhood community.

✨ Nominate a colleague, mentor, emerging leader, or advocate today. Your nomination could help honor someone whose dedication deserves to be recognized.

⏰ Don't wait - nominations are closing soon!

🔗 Submit your nomination today - link in bio!

🌟 Featured Speaker Announcement #4 🌟

Our 2026 RIAEYC Annual Early Childhood Conference Keynote Speaker, Ant Toombs, Sr., isn't just opening the conference - he'll also be leading a can't-miss breakout session!

🎤 Featured Session: Help Kids Heal: 4 Key Ingredients

Drawing from more than 30 years of experience, Ant has developed a practical four-step framework for creating corrective play experiences that help educators build healing, trusting relationships with children.

Through interactive activities, engaging discussions, and real-world strategies, participants will explore how to:
💙 Foster joyfulness
🤝 Strengthen social connection
🌱 Build internal control
🎯 Encourage active engagement

You'll leave with practical, relationship-based tools you can start using in your classroom the very next day.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn from our keynote speaker in a more intimate, hands-on setting and discover powerful ways to support every child's social and emotional well-being.

✨ We can't wait to welcome Ant Toombs, Sr. this October!

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

🌟 Featured Speaker Announcement #3 🌟

We're excited to introduce another inspiring presenter joining us at the 2026 RIAEYC Annual Early Childhood Conference - Jeanine Fitzgerald!

With more than 40 years of experience as a certified teacher, mental health professional, author, and educational consultant, Jeanine has dedicated her career to helping children, educators, and families thrive. As the founder of The Fitzgerald Institute of Lifelong Learning, she is recognized nationally for her work in educational leadership, relationship-building, motivation, and restorative approaches that help children reach their full potential.

📚 Session Spotlight: "Do Not Fix Me or Change Me"

What if behavior isn't the problem, but the message?

In this powerful session, Jeanine explores the idea that behavior is a symptom of an unsolved problem and a form of communication. Participants will gain practical, research-based strategies for implementing restorative discipline that addresses hurt and harm while strengthening relationships, fostering understanding, and creating supportive learning environments where every child can succeed.

💙 This thought-provoking session will challenge perspectives and provide meaningful tools you can immediately apply in your work with children.

Stay tuned as we reveal our next featured speaker!

🌊 Your partnership creates lasting impact - and meaningful visibility.

When you sponsor the 2026 RIAEYC Annual Conference, you're doing more than supporting an event - you’re investing in Rhode Island's early childhood educators and the children and families they serve every day.

Join us in bringing together hundreds of educators for a day of learning, connection, and inspiration.

As a conference sponsor, you'll receive:
✨ Brand recognition before, during, and after the conference
🤝 Opportunities to connect directly with attendees
💙 Recognition as a champion for early childhood education

Ready to get involved or have questions? Contact [email protected], today!

📣 Early childhood educators and program leaders - NAEYC wants to hear from you!

Share your experiences with licensing and regulatory requirements by taking the latest Early Childhood Education Workforce Survey. Your feedback will help highlight the realities facing the ECE workforce and inform efforts to better support educators and programs.

⏱️ The survey takes just 10–15 minutes to complete, and participants will have a chance to win a $100 gift card!

Help make sure the voices of early childhood professionals are heard. Take the survey and share it with your ECE network today! 💙

🔗 Learn more and access the survey - Link in bio!

📣 Applications are NOW OPEN for the RI Early Childhood Registered Apprenticeship Program!

Ready to grow your career while earning a paycheck? 🌟

✅ Paid training & apprenticeship coaching
✅ Professional development hours
✅ Earn your CDA

Already have your CDA? Great news! You can receive apprenticeship coaching and all the same program benefits while earning an additional $1 per hour.

📅 Application deadline: July 24

📧 [email protected]
📞 401-739-6100

Take the next step in your early childhood education career today!

🌟 Featured Speaker Announcement 🌟

We're excited to introduce our next featured presenter for the 2026 RIAEYC Annual Early Childhood Conference, Kim O'Connell, M.Ed.

With more than 30 years of experience in early childhood and special education, Kim O'Connell is a nationally recognized educator, speaker, and consultant dedicated to helping children, and the adults who support them, reach their full potential. Her career has spanned roles as a Special Education Teacher, Intervention Specialist, Preschool Program Manager, and Director of Early Childhood Education.

Kim is a National Train-the-Trainer for Mind in the Making and a certified RIDE Train-the-Trainer for the Guiding Principles and 9 Domains, supporting high-quality, standards-based classrooms and programs across Rhode Island.

Her presentations are known for being practical, engaging, and grounded in research. Focusing on executive functioning, intentional movement, brain integration, and individual learning styles, Kim combines humor, real-world experience, and actionable strategies that educators can put into practice right away.

✨ Join Kim at this year's conference and leave inspired with new tools to support every learner.

Stay tuned as we continue unveiling our outstanding lineup of featured speakers!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for yesterday’s Press Conference!

We were grateful for the opportunity to hear directly from Rhode Island's senators and house representatives as they shared their visions for the future of our state - and, importantly, their commitments to young children, families, and the early childhood workforce.

A strong Rhode Island starts with investing in our youngest learners. Thank you to our candidates, partners, moderators, and everyone who attended and asked thoughtful questions that kept early childhood education at the forefront of the conversation.

Together, we're working to ensure that every child in Rhode Island has the opportunity to thrive, right from the start. 💙

📸 Swipe through to see highlights from yesterday’s conference!

🌟 Featured Speaker Announcement 🌟

We're excited to kick off our featured speaker series by introducing Joe Pinsonneault, one of the engaging presenters joining us at the 2026 RIAEYC Annual Early Childhood Conference!

With more than 25 years of experience supporting early childhood programs, nonprofits, schools, and educators, Joe brings a wealth of knowledge in leadership, program development, and high-quality early learning. As President of the RIAEYC Board of Directors, he is passionate about helping educators create meaningful learning experiences for young children.

🎲 Session Spotlight: The Power of Play: Developing & Implementing a Play-Based Curriculum

Discover how children learn through play by exploring the stages of play development, the different types of play, and practical strategies for creating engaging, developmentally appropriate learning environments. Through discussion and hands-on activities, you'll leave with new ideas to strengthen play-based learning in your classroom.

📸 Don't forget: Bring a photo of your children's favorite toy or game to help guide the interactive discussion!

Stay tuned as we continue announcing more of our incredible featured speakers over the coming weeks!

📣 Join the Conversation on Early Childhood!

RIAEYC is excited to share that Right from the Start is co-hosting a 2026 Gubernatorial Candidate Conversation on Wednesday, August 6, at 8:30 AM at Children's Friend in Providence.

This is an opportunity to hear directly from Rhode Island's gubernatorial candidates about their vision for young children, families, and the early childhood workforce.

📍 Location: Children's Friend
99 Berkshire Street, Providence, RI

We hope to see you there!