Summit participants peruse the curriculum fair. The fair featured 17 different vendors, all exhibiting pre-K curricula aligned with Tennessee Early Learning Standards.

The second annual Early Childhood Summit provided wonderful opportunities for networking with pre-K stakeholders from across the state.

Conference attendees discuss pre-K curricula.

Nita Norphlet-Thompson, executive director of the Mississippi Head Start Association, welcomed Summit participants during the first general session on Thursday, May 3.

One of the many breakout sessions offered during the conference. The Summit offered activities in a variety of workshops, focusing on topics such as collaboration as a major implementation method for pre-K, parent engagement, behavior management, classroom environments, language and brain development, social and emotional development, mentoring, nutrition, working with English Language Learners and autism.

Dr. Pat Levitt, director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, spoke to conference attendees about how all of us participate in the process of brain development in young children. Dr. Levitt related this to the important environmental factors that can have positive or negative influences on developing brain architecture.

W. Steven Barnett, Ph.D., director of the National Institute for Early Education Research, spoke about the evidence behind the claim that early education can be a sound public investment. Local Nashville TV station WKRN covered Barnett's speech. Read the transcript of the story here. You can also view Barnett's presentation here.

Summit participants listen to Barnett's informative speech.