Annual Conference Agenda
Conference Agenda
Friday, August 28: Leadership Day
Friday will focus on the realities of leading child care programs in a rapidly changing environment. Sessions and discussions will address timely challenges facing programs, leadership needs, business sustainability, and opportunities for growth.
Location: Sandia Ballroom 1-5
Start Leadership Day with a full breakfast and time to connect with early childhood leaders from across New Mexico. Please check in when you arrive to receive your attendee name badge and conference bag before settling in for breakfast, networking, and the day’s sessions.
Menu
Scrambled eggs, bacon, breakfast potatoes, fresh fruit, danish & croissants
Chilled orange juice, freshly brewed coffee and international herbal teas
Location: Sandia Ballroom 1-5
Presenter: Barbara Tedrow, President of NMECA
Kick off Leadership Day by coming together with early childhood leaders from across New Mexico for a day focused on learning, growth, and connection. This opening session will set the tone for the day while sharing NMECA’s role in supporting, strengthening, and advocating for the early childhood field.
Location: Sandia Ballroom 1-5
Presenter: Regina Miller
Location: Conference Lobby
Location: Sandia Ballroom 1-5
Children have not changed, but the expectations placed on them have. In this inspiring session, Jennifer McCarville, founder of Marvelously Made School and the Save Childhood Movement, will introduce 14 commitments leaders can make to protect the essential experiences of childhood. Participants will explore how developmentally appropriate practices, meaningful relationships, play, emotional safety, and trust in the learning process help children thrive. Educators and program leaders will leave encouraged to examine the pressures affecting today’s children and equipped to champion learning environments where childhood is honored, protected, and allowed to unfold at its own pace.
Presenter: Jennifer McCarville
Location: Conference Lobby
Sponsored by:
Location: Sandia Ballroom 1-5
Menu
Chicken Piccata; chefs' selection of starch, seasonal vegetables
We will also have Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky from the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department join us and provide some brief remarks, as well as highlight the new regulations.
Location: Sandia Ballroom 1-5
Join ECECD leadership for a conversation about the issues affecting early childhood programs across New Mexico. Providers will have an opportunity to ask questions, seek clarification, and share how licensing, regulations, and state policies are being applied in their programs and communities. With new regulations expected before the conference, this session will create space for ECECD to explain the “why,” providers to share what is happening on the ground, and both sides to leave with a stronger understanding of the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Location: Conference Lobby
Location: Sandia Ballroom 1-5
Presenter: Kelly Klundt
How is universal child care funded in New Mexico, and what informs the recommendations that shape the state budget? This session will provide an inside look at New Mexico’s child care funding structure and the factors legislative staff and policymakers consider when evaluating investments and developing budget recommendations.
With child care revenue now fully connected to universal child care, providers and industry leaders need to understand how funding decisions are made and how outcomes, accountability, access, quality, and long-term sustainability influence those decisions. Participants will explore how the early childhood industry can demonstrate the value of continued investment while protecting high-quality care and preserving a range of options that reflect the diverse needs and preferences of New Mexico families.
Saturday, August 29: Professional Development Day
Saturday will offer practical sessions for educators and early childhood professionals who want fresh ideas, useful strategies, and inspiration they can bring back to their classrooms and programs.
Location: Sandia Ballroom 1-5
Begin Professional Development Day by checking in to receive your attendee name badge and conference bag before heading into the day’s sessions.
Please note that a full breakfast will not be served on Saturday, so we encourage attendees to eat before arriving at the conference.
Freshly brewed coffee and a selection of teas will be available in the morning as you settle in and connect with fellow early childhood professionals from across New Mexico.
Location: Sandia Ballroom 1-5
Presenter: Barbara Tedrow, President of NMECA
Begin Professional Development Day with a warm welcome as we gather early childhood professionals from across New Mexico for a day of learning, connection, and practical inspiration.
This opening session will set the tone for the day and celebrate the important work happening across New Mexico’s early childhood field. We will also present the Early Childhood Legacy Award recognizing an individual whose leadership, dedication, and lasting contributions have strengthened early childhood programs, supported families, and helped elevate the professionals who serve young children every day.
Join us as we honor excellence in the field and begin a day focused on growth, support, and the future of early childhood in New Mexico.
Location: Conference Lobby
You Can Learn Everything Outside
Location: Sandia 6-8
Presenter: Jennifer McCarville
Reigniting the Joy of Teaching
Location: Ocotillo Ballroom
Presenter: Regina Miller
_______________________________________
Location: Sierra Ballroom
Presenters: Paige Abrams, UNM Family Development Program
Discover how play can help both adults and children become more curious, connected, creative, and emotionally regulated. In this interactive session, participants will explore the science behind play and learn practical strategies for creating environments that encourage experimentation, problem-solving, and joyful engagement. Through hands-on experiences with loose parts, you’ll discover how simple, open-ended materials can spark imagination, strengthen relationships, support self-regulation, and invite deeper learning. You’ll leave with science-backed tools and adaptable ideas you can use with yourself and the children and families you serve.
Location: Conference Lobby
Taking Learning Outdoors: Thoughtful Design and Meaningful Practice Outdoors
Location: Sandia Ballroom 6-8
Presenter: Sondra Carpenter, Christina Kent Early Childhood Center & Dylan Meier, Community Playthings
Explore how outdoor learning can support children’s physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development while creating new opportunities for deeper engagement, problem-solving, and self-directed play. This session will highlight practical design principles for outdoor classrooms, including space planning, sensory-rich environments, materials, supervision, weather considerations, and how outdoor spaces can evolve over time. Participants will also learn from a real-life case study and leave with ideas for creating outdoor learning environments that are intentional, flexible, and meaningful for children and educators.
_______________________________________
Aprendizaje Activo en la Primera Infancia | Active Learning in Early Childhood
Location: Sierra Ballroom
Presenter: Yolanda Borrás
This session will be presented in Spanish with concurrent live translation to English.
En esta sesión, los participantes podrán apreciar cómo la música y el movimiento pueden
integrarse de manera natural en experiencias de aprendizaje para la educación preescolar,
incluyendo el desarrollo del lenguaje, las matemáticas, las ciencias naturales, el aprendizaje
socioemocional, el desarrollo motor y la identidad cultural, sin reemplazar lo que ya realizan
en sus aulas y programas.
Estas estrategias no solo favorecen el aprendizaje de los niños, sino que también ayudan a
que el proceso de enseñanza en el preescolar sea más dinámico, participativo y agradable
para los educadores.
A lo largo de la sesión, se incorporarán materiales del currículo I’m Bilingual!® como ejemplo
práctico de estrategias integradas que conectan lenguaje, música, movimiento y aprendizaje
activo en la educación preescolar.
Los participantes:
• Participarán en experiencias musicales y de movimiento listas para implementar en el aula
preescolar
• Explorarán conexiones entre lenguaje, matemáticas, ciencias y aprendizaje socioemocional
• Descubrirán estrategias prácticas para enriquecer el currículo existente sin necesidad de
reemplazarlo
• Explore connections between language, mathematics, science, and socio-emotional learning
• Discover practical strategies to enrich the existing curriculum without the need to replace it.
_______________________________________
How to Trust the Child – A Lesson from the Bluey Episode “Space”
Location: Ocotillo Ballroom
Presenter: Sam Hufnangel
Join to watch an episode of Bluey together and reflect on what it can teach us about how to get out of children’s way, follow their lead, and trust their ‘inner healing intelligence.’ We will explore concepts of CPP/play therapy, home visiting, and Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health to enhance the learning from the episode. Then participants will have time to reflect on what they saw, as well as discuss how they can apply what they’ve learned to their practice.
Lunch is sponsored by: Just Right Reader
Location: Sandia Ballroom 1-5
Menu
Green chile chicken enchiladas paired with borracho beans and spanish rice.
Location: Sandia Ballroom 1-5
Presenter: Sharron Krull
Ready, Set, Go! Jump start your body and brain as we get moving.
Participate in cooperative group games, dance to the music, and use simple equipment to promote
motor skill development, increase physical activity and boost cognition.
Discover how the brain works, what affects brain development, and how children learn best.
Location: Conference Lobby
Location: Sandia 6-8
Presenter: Valerie Cervantes & Laura Salas
_______________________________________
Outdoor Equity Through Community, Collaboration & Social-Emotional Learning
Location: Ocotillo Ballroom
Presenter: Sarah Candelaria
Discover how early childhood educators, home visitors, and early interventionists can use the outdoors as a powerful setting for social-emotional learning, child development, and connection. This session will offer practical, adaptable strategies for bringing nature into everyday practice, supporting children’s emotional regulation, relationships, curiosity, and confidence while creating inclusive outdoor experiences for children and families.
_______________________________________
GIGGLES & WIGGLES! It’s Circle Time
Location: Sierra Ballroom
Presenters: Sharron Krull
Join in this engaging and participatory workshop demonstrating a variety of techniques and props for presenting music, movement, finger plays, name games, stories, puppets, and creative activities. Have fun, get inspired, and acquire lots of new ideas to make group time more active and enjoyable for the children and you!