Do you work to support young children and families through home visiting, preschool, or in a community organization?
Are you an early learning provider? A parent of a young child?
Are you curious about the ways that communities throughout Michigan are supporting young children and families?
Do you want to learn about the innovations to best serve young children and families that are being implemented in local communities like yours?
Join the Michigan Department of Education/Office of Great Start for a free, virtual Listen and Learn Symposium to support equitable and innovative approaches to coordinated enrollment, early literacy, transitions and community engagement.
Participants will hear firsthand challenges and triumphs related to early childhood innovations and benefit from the storytelling, panel discussions, Q&A, and discussion groups. 
Be inspired by our keynote speakers:
Dr. Cristina Pacione-Zayas, PhD
Associate Vice President of Poicy at the Erikson Institute
Dr. Pacione-Zayas is credited with establishing The Early Childhood Leadership Academy for Illinois leaders seeking learning experiences to enhance their capacity to inform early childhood policy. She also directs the Community Data Lab which equips local leaders with precise and accessible data on child well-being to inform systems coordination, resource allocation, and policy through the Early Development Instrument Pilot Project and Reach Project. Her work is informed by over a decade of expereince leading education policy and community education initiatives in Illinois's Latinx communities.
Tonja Rucker
Program Director for Early Childhood Success, Institute for Youth Education and Families at the National League of Cities
Tonja Rucker is responsible for developing and overseeing implementaiton of the Institute's work plans and long-term strategies for early education. TOnja works directly with mayors, city councilmembers, and other municipal officials in creating local systems of support for parents, children, and youth in their communities. By helping cities develop the necessary local infrastructure and providing concrete ideas and tools for policy and programmatic action, a significant number of cities and towns have positioned themsleves as models for investing in children's healthy growth and development.
Would you like to be more involved?
Do you work with your community to support and improve early childhood development?
Are you a family member or parent that has experienced a smooth transition from home visiting to your child's preschool enrollment?
Are you a librarian who has developed approaches to early literacy alongside your community?
Are you committed to stregthening systems and supports for young children and families?
If you answered YES to any of these questions.......
You have a story to tell and we want to hear it!!!
If you thought of someone while reading these questions.......
We want to hear their story!!!
Select Yes to being a Storyteller, or Refer a storyteller in the registration section below.
#Innovate4MIKids
Symposium Schedule
(all times are est)
9:30 -10:00 Opening remarks and Keynote Speaker: Cristina Pacione-Zayas, PhD
10:00 - 10:15 Q and A with Cristina Pacione-Zayas,PhD
10:15 -11:45 Morning Session
Participants select one session and will participate in a brief Content Overview, Storytelling session, Panel discussion, Q & A and Regional Networking
11:45-1:00 WIDA Early Years Webinar/ Lunch/ Exhibition Hall Exploration
1:00-1:30 Afternoon Keynote Speaker: Tonja Rucker
1:30-1:45 Q and A with Tonja Rucker
1:45-3:15 Afternoon Session
Participants select one session and will participate in a brief Content Overview, Storytelling session, Panel discussion, Q & A and Regional Networking
3:15-3:30 Closing Remarks from the Office Great Start