VTAEYC is committed to the ongoing professional development of its members and of all early childhood education professionals. Scroll down to register for upcoming events and view resources from past events.
SAVE THE DATE
The 2023 VTAEYC Annual Early Childhood Education Conference
Date: Nov. 6 + 7, 2023
Location: The Stoweflake Mountain Resort and Spa in Stowe, VT
More information coming soon!
2023 Vermont Annual Kindergarten Conference: The Power of Stories
Date: April 4, 2023 from 8:45am – 3:30pm
Location: Hilton Burlington Lake Champlain, 60 Battery St, Burlington, VT
Audience: Administrators and Early Educators
Come and celebrate the 30th year of the Vermont Kindergarten Conference. This conference is specifically designed for early childhood educators, principals and curriculum directors. Jane Lindholm, the host and creator of But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids, will be the keynote speaker. Jane will share her thoughts about the importance of nurturing curiosity in both children and adults, and how listening carefully can uncover children’s wonderful ideas.
Contact: Pat Fitzsimmons at pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov
The Curtis Fund Commitment Scholarship for Early Childhood Educators
Apr 3, 2023 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join VTAEYC and The Curtis Fund for a webinar designed to give information to parents, teachers, and students about the Curtis Fund’s comprehensive scholarship for new and prospective early childhood educators. https://www.vtaeyc.org/the-curtis-fund-commitment-scholarship-program/
Zoom Ahead: Pathways to AOE Educator Licensure with ECE Endorsement
March 23, 6:30-7:15 PM | Led by Heather Duhamel
This Zoom Ahead call will focus on various alternative pathway options, testing requirements, and portfolio options for early childhood educators to obtain an educator license with ECE endorsement from Vermont’s Agency of Education.
Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkdO6vqj4qEtZcUC_ECOle9V2Y56CtktCd
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Future dates for this webinar: April 20, May 18, and June 15
Early Childhood Day at the Legislature
Date: March 15, 2023 from 7:30am to 3pm EST
Location: Capitol Plaza Hotel and the State House in Montpelier, VT
Join the Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance, early childhood professionals, parents, employers, and policymakers in person to:
- Meet with legislators about early childhood issues
- Attend workshops on current topics
- Take action at the State House
- Network and exchange information
Scholarships and professional development will be available. Contact Taylor Hughey, Alliance Outreach Manager, at taylor@vecaa.org with any questions!
Stay tuned to the Alliance’s newsletters, Facebook page, and website for more details as they are released!
Roundtable with Rachel: A Monthly Informal Q&A
Advancing ECE as a Profession
Early childhood educators: have questions about the work to advance ECE as a profession in Vermont? Drop in to this relaxed monthly Q&A.
Dates:
Weds., January 11 from 6-7pm EST
Weds., February 8 from 6-7pm EST
Weds., March 8 from 6-7pm EST
Join Rachel Hunter, Outreach Coordinator for Advancing as a Profession, for a monthly conversation of relaxed Q&A and project updates. Over four years, Rachel has hosted dozens of workforce discussions all about advancing ECE as a profession. Educators regularly request opportunities to ask more questions and learn more about the project. These roundtable discussions are designed as a casual forum to ask and learn. Bring your questions, or listen in. As we gear up for 2023 legislative advocacy, we want to make sure Vermont early childhood educators are informed about the work to create a well-prepared, well-compensated early childhood education profession.
What’s the Latest? Advancing ECE as a Profession
Dates:
Tue., January 10 from 6-7:30pm EST
Weds., January 25 from 5:30-7pm EST
Thurs., January 26 from 12:30-2pm EST
Weds., February 1 from 6-7:30pm EST
Thurs., February 9 from 6-7:30 EST
Download the flyer for “What’s the Latest?”
Important updates on the work to advance early childhood education as a profession in Vermont in this Northern Lights-approved training, including:
- How ECE programs and leaders are acting on areas of workforce consensus
- The workforce-led process to establish equivalence for expertise learned through experience (the “bridge” for the current workforce)
- Design team recommendations for a minimum compensation scale for ECE I, II, and III designations
- Systems, policy, and political goals for 2023
- “We’re in!” How ECE leadership is expanding (and how you can be involved!)
Open Enrollment Virtual Town Hall
November 29 from 7-8pm EST
Interested in learning more about Open Enrollment for the Vermont Health Insurance Marketplace (Vermont Health Connect) or need to enroll or renew your health insurance through Vermont Health Connect (VHC)? Get information that you can share or use for yourself.
Open Enrollment started November 1st! To ensure your coverage begins on January 1, 2023, you must enroll by December 15, 2022. When enrolled through VHC, many Vermonters will continue to get enhanced financial assistance!
Join the Vermont Family Network and VTAEYC for a virtual Town Hall meeting on November 29 from 7-8pm to learn about this and other important Open Enrollment announcements. We’ll be joined by Department of Vermont Health Access staff who will share information about how to choose a plan, options for financial assistance, and how to get help applying or understanding your options if you need it. You’ll also be able to ask questions live, directly to the experts.
Presenters:
– Zack Goss, Health Care Training and Communication Manager, Department of Vermont Health Access
– Stacy DeSisto, Assistant Program Manager, Department of Vermont Health Access
Information Sessions: New Curtis Fund Scholarship for Early Childhood Educator Certificates
November 16, 2022: 12-12:30 PM and 6:30-7 PM
Information Session
When: Nov 16, 2022 12-12:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Information Session
When: Nov 16, 2022 6:30 – 7:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
The Curtis Fund Commitment: A Comprehensive Scholarship for Early Childhood
Educators is a new program that will provide scholarships for the full cost of attendance (tuition, fees, housing, food, and transportation) to students who wish to earn a certificate in child care at the Community College of Vermont (CCV).
The pilot program will be available to students graduating from career and technical education programs focused on early childhood education and/or human services.
Meet the Candidates Happy Hour Mixer!
October 12, 2022 from 5-6:30pm at the Hilton Burlington Lake Champlain
Join Let’s Grow Kids and the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children for a meet-and-greet mixer with candidates for elected office. This is a great opportunity to meet and mingle with candidates in a relaxed setting, share your perspective of why early childhood education is so important, and hear about their plans to solve Vermont’s child care crisis. Candidates running for statewide office will be invited, along with all those running in Chittenden County. All conference attendees are welcome! Light appetizers and beverages will be provided.
Address for the Hilton: 60 Battery St, Burlington, VT 05401
Q&A Session on VTAEYC’s Proposed Bylaws
Thursday, September 29th, from 6:30-7:30pm EST
VTAEYC invites its members to join an information session on the proposed revision of our organizational bylaws. Shane McCormack of Paul Frank and Collins as well as members of VTAEYC’s Governance Committee will be on hand to answer your questions. Please RSVP for the Zoom session; if you have specific questions, you are welcome to share them in advance by email to info@vtaeyc.org. If you cannot make it, we will share the recording.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness for Early Childhood Educators and more!
August 17, 2022 at 1:00pm and 6:00pm EST
If you missed the live webinar, you can watch the recording here.
Join us to learn about Public Service Loan Forgiveness, the PSLF waiver opportunity that expires by October 31st, 2022, and any updates on Student Loan related news! This session will be a 30 minute webinar followed by a question and answer session. This is an opportunity for early childhood educators to speak directly with a student loan expert! The session will be recorded and posted to our website, and VTAEYC is also welcoming questions via email. Anyone may submit questions for the session to studentloanrepayment@vtaeyc.org before the session. It is ok to submit a question even if you cannot make the webinar. Free and open to all early childhood educators!
The webinar will feature Joshua Cohen, a lawyer that has specialized in navigating student loan debt since 2008. He is the founder of the Student Loan Law Workshop, in which he teaches attorneys how to practice in the field of student loan law. He offers a wealth of knowledge on this subject and we are excited to connect him with early childhood educators all over Vermont.
Navigating Your Student Loans: A Webinar Series
Join VTAEYC and Joshua Cohen to learn about navigating student loans and the new Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program.
Joshua Cohen is a lawyer that has specialized in navigating student loan debt since 2008. He is the founder of the Student Loan Law Workshop, in which he teaches attorneys how to practice in the field of student loan law. He offers a wealth of knowledge on this subject and we are excited to connect him with early educators all over Vermont. His expertise includes: student loan history, different types of loans, collection practices, typical issues that borrowers face, getting out of default, and many more issues related to student loans.
Student Loan Basics: April 26, 2022 at 1pm and 6pm EST
This webinar will provide an overview of different types of student loans, tips for managing student loan debt, and the ins and outs of Income Driven Repayment Plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness as well as the CARES Act student loan forbearance.
If you missed the live webinar, watch the recording here.
Introduction to the Student Loan Repayment Program for Early Education Graduates: May 3, 2022 at 1pm and 6pm EST
This webinar will give an overview of the Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program, including the eligibility and application process, different types of student loans & required documentation, award determination & payment schedule, and getting your documentation in BFIS.
If you missed the live webinar, watch the recording here.
Feedback Session: Vermont’s Child Care and Early Childhood Education Systems Analysis
Vermont’s Child Care and Early Childhood Education Systems Analysis (ECSA) is underway and now is the time to tune-in to provide input. Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VTAEYC) and Building Bright Futures (BBF) co-hosted a session with early childhood educators and administrators on March 23 from 6-7:30pm. Watch the recording here.
ECSA is part of Vermont’s Act 45 (H171, an Act relating to child care systems and financing) and aims to improve the functionality of Vermont’s early childhood services and systems. Themes from initial interviews on the current status of the system are outlined in the document, Vermont Child Care and Early Childhood Education Systems Analysis: Stakeholder Engagement Major Themes, and your feedback is essential to developing recommendations as the next step in this project.
Couldn’t join us live? Watch the recording from the 2/24 presentation and offer written feedback.
Getting Up To Speed: Advancing as a Profession
This is an hour-long, fun recap of the project to advance early childhood education as a profession designed for early childhood educators who are just getting involved. If you’ve attended one or two professional development sessions or are brand new to this idea, these Getting Up To Speed sessions are for you.
Plus: participants receive a free VTAEYC+NAEYC membership!
Getting Up To Speed sessions will run periodically. Contact Rachel Hunter for information about upcoming sessions.
Download and share the flyer here.
The 29th Annual Kindergarten Conference
Friday, April 1, 2022: A Hybrid Conference from 8:45am to 3:30pm EST
It’s Time to Play! Nurturing Each and Every Child’s Curiosity, Learning, and Well-Being
A conference designed for principals, curriculum directors, and early educators throughout the State.
Keynote: The day will open with stories from several Vermont schools where kindergarten teachers and administrators offer children ample time and meaningful opportunities to learn and grow across all domains – cognitive, emotional, social, and physical – through play. There will be an opportunity to reflect on common themes that weave throughout the panelists’ experiences as well as follow-up workshops with panel presenters.
Workshops will focus on areas of interest that were identified through a fall survey of early educators. In the morning, all workshops will be virtual while in the afternoon face-to-face workshops will be taking place around the state. Locations include ECHO in Burlington, the North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier, the Brattleboro Museum and Arts Center, the Vermont Institute for Natural Science in Quechee, and the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury.
Workshop descriptions can be found here.
This conference brings together kindergarten and primary level teachers, prekindergarten teachers, school and program administrators, pre-service teachers, and teacher educators to explore evidence-based practices, discuss issues, learn from each other, and become rejuvenated.
Early Childhood Education Roundtable with Rep. Peter Welch
10:30 AM Wednesday, January 26
Rep. Welch, VTAEYC, and a panel of Vermont early childhood educators discussed early childhood education in Vermont and the nation. Rep. Welch provided an update on the Build Back Better bill and important provisions that support the early childhood education workforce. Educators from around the state shared the challenges that educators and the families they serve are facing as well as ideas for short- and long-term solutions that will create the equitable early childhood education system we all need. Watch the roundtable recording here.
VTAEYC 50th Anniversary Kick Off
Wednesday, January 19th, 2022
Board President Sharron Harrington, President-Elect Christina Goodwin, Executive Director Janet McLaughlin, and Membership Director Ann Moore kicked off VTAEYC’s 50th year!
- Learn more about our programs and services
- Find out about VTAEYC membership benefits
- Network with others
- Learn about ways to get involved
Thanks for joining us! We had so much fun connecting with all of you.
TEACH Scholarship Program General Information Session
Join VTAEYC and T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® VERMONT for a general information session to learn about scholarship opportunities for early childhood educators.
This virtual info session was held on December 2nd, 1-2pm EST. You can watch the recording here.
Affordable Health Insurance: Open Enrollment for 2022
Join VTAEYC and VT Health Connect for a webinar on affordable health insurance. The focus will be on 2022 Open Enrollment and getting information to educators and employees who need health insurance.
Please take a look at these resources ahead of the webinar for some background information.
- 2022 Plan Comparison Tool
- Health Insurance 101
- Health Insurance: Why it’s Important and What You Need to Know Booklet
This webinar was held on December 1st, 6-7pm EST. You can watch the recording here.
Higher Education Scholarship & Grant Opportunity Webinar
Calling ECE directors, owners, and supervisors: attend our new webinar and learn how to guide your staff to grants and scholarships now available to help Vermont early childhood educators pay for higher ed courses.
Join VTAEYC staff and our partners from the Vermont State College system and VSAC to learn about opportunities available and how to help your staff access them.
This webinar was held on Aug. 4th, 1-2pm EST. You can watch the recording here.
Affordable Health Insurance Webinar #2: Vermont’s Office of the Health Care Advocate: A Key Resource for You and the Families You Serve
We know that affordable health insurance is vitally important to Vermont’s early childhood educators and the families you serve. Join us for Part 2 of a discussion on the topic with Alicia Roderigue of the Office of the Health Care Advocate, a project of Vermont Legal Aid. Alicia will review the free supports and services that the Office of the Health Care Advocate provides for Vermonters who have questions about health insurance or access to care. In addition, she will offer information and answer questions regarding Vermont’s programs designed to make health insurance more affordable including Medicaid, Dr. Dynasaur, and Vermont Health Connect. She’s also a great resource to answer new or lingering questions on the upcoming changes within Vermont Health Connect presented by Sean Sheehan of the Department of Vermont Health Access during the May 18th webinar.
This webinar was held on June 9th, 6-7pm EST. You can watch the recording here.
Affordable Health Insurance: Why Now is the Right Time for Early Childhood Educators to Re-Explore Vermont Health Connect
Did you know that the American Rescue Plan includes funding to make health insurance much more affordable? New federal investments are set to significantly increase benefit levels and dramatically expand eligibility.
This is great news for early childhood educators who often lack employer-sponsored health care and are too often uninsured or underinsured.
VTAEYC is hosting a webinar with Sean Sheehan of the Department of Vermont Health Access. Sean will give us an overview of the upcoming changes and walk us through how to figure out how this could impact you, your family, and your colleagues.
This webinar was held on May 18th, 6-7pm EST. You can watch the recording here.
SESSION DATES: Thursday May 20, 27, June 3, 6:00 – 7:00 PM EST via Zoom.
This communal affinity series is free and open to early childhood educators who identify as People of Color. Our time together will be dedicated to building connection with one another and openly processing our wide range of experiences in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. This space will deeply honor BIPOC wholeness, joy, hardship, nuance, community care, and racial trauma.
Group facilitation will also include psychoeducation for mental and emotional health management as well as tools for self-advocacy and communal strategizing within the work environment. Participants are invited to experience a conversation in the style of group therapy, engage in breakout spaces, activities, and receive informational handouts.
Sponsored by VTAEYC and facilitated by Courtney (Coco) Casper.
Courtney Casper (she/her) is a clinical social worker, local multicultural, first-generation changemaker, per diem counselor at UVM Counseling & Psychiatry Services, and an MSW candidate at Smith College. As a queer, American child of immigrants, she holds a deep affinity for exploring intimacy and attachment with people of all ages and identities. Her decade of professional history reflects her investment in BIPOC-centered healing and open critical dialogue across settings. Courtney emphasizes humor, multiplexity, and deconstruction of power in her clinical and personal work.
***This affinity space is free and open to all People of the Global Majority (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) who are early educators living and working on unceded Abenaki lands commonly known as Vermont.***
If you have any questions, please reach out to Chani Krech: chani.krech@vtaeyc.org.
