About the ECSummit
The 2025 Early Childhood Summit, hosted by Starting Point, provides an invaluable opportunity for early childhood professionals in Northeast Ohio to engage in professional development, tackle relevant issues, and network with others in the field. We aim to empower early childhood educators by providing quality training on the most pressing topics in the field. While the last Summit was held in the Fall, Starting Point’s team is adjusting the timeline of this event to be springtime by 2026 and thereafter.
This year’s summit will bring together educators, caregivers, administrators, and community partners to further the mission of enhancing early childhood education across the region.
We welcome proposals from individuals and organizations of all levels of expertise, recognizing that both emerging and experienced professionals bring valuable perspectives to the table. Whether you are a seasoned educator or a newcomer to the field, your insights and contributions are important to us.
Additionally, we encourage proposals from bilingual presenters. If your session will be delivered in Spanish, please let us know, as we aim to offer sessions that meet the diverse linguistic needs of our attendees.
Ready to Submit?
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Call For Proposals: Training Sessions
We are now accepting proposals for training sessions at the 2025 Early Childhood Summit. If you have valuable expertise or innovative ideas related to early childhood education and care, we invite you to submit a proposal to lead a training session.
Training sessions must align with Starting Point’s mission and meet the professional development needs of the diverse audience of early childhood educators. All proposed sessions should focus on providing information, sharing best practices, and contributing to the professional development of attendees. We welcome you to submit your presentation even if your specific topic isn’t listed in the tracks below—your perspective and expertise matter!
Sessions will not be used as a platform to promote or endorse any specific product or service.
Key Dates:
- Proposal Due Date: Tuesday, March 18th, 2025
- Summit Dates: June 27th – 28th, 2025
- Location: Cuyahoga County Corporate College East
Session Format Options:
- OA Approved Training Sessions: 60-minute sessions. Two-part sessions (120 minutes total) are acceptable to meet Ohio Approval requirements.
- Peer Training Sessions: Led by master teachers, these sessions focus on collaborative learning and sharing practical, on-the-ground strategies for early childhood educators.
- Poster Sessions: Students with an academic focus in early childhood education and/or child development are invited to submit a proposal to present a poster session. Poster sessions encourage interaction with participants and the sharing of ideas.
Conference tracks that applicants should consider with proposals:
| Developmentally Appropriate Practices Play Language and Literacy Curriculum Theories and Approaches Art and Music Social and Emotional, Outdoor Spaces/ Nature Based Education Challenging Behaviors Prevention and Inclusion (Classroom Based) | Building Quality Programs ECE Leadership Professionalism and Ethics Human Resources and Staff Management, Prevention and Inclusion (Center Based) | Community Collaboration Advocacy/ Public Policy Family Engagement Resources Health and Safety Prevention and Inclusion |
Proposal Submission Requirements
Contact Information
- First and Last Name
- Company/Institution/Affiliation
- Professional title
- Complete mailing addresses
- Phone numbers
- Email address
- Presenter website/LinkedIn Profile link (if applicable)
- Demographics – gender, age range, ethnicity, language, years in ECE
- Previous Speaking Engagements
- Speaker Bio
- Professional Headshot
- Availability (Friday, Saturday or Both Days)
Proposal Information
- Session Title
- Session Description (no more than 250 words)
- Target Audience
- Group-Related Content (if applicable)
- Learner Objectives
- Audiovisual Needs: A standard setup, including a screen, LCD projector, one table microphone, and one podium microphone, will be provided. Additional AV needs (sound patches, laptops, internet access) are the responsibility of the presenter.
- Session Language: Please indicate if your session will be presented in English or Spanish.
- Accessibility Needs: Please let us know if you require any specific accommodation(s) to ensure access and inclusion for your session (e.g., sign language interpretation, wheelchair access, captioning services, etc.). We are committed to making the summit accessible to all participants.
Selection Criteria
Proposals will be reviewed based on the following criteria:
- Alignment with Starting Point’s mission and the professional development needs of early childhood educators.
- Use of research-based content and best practices.
- Relevance and timeliness of the topic to the current needs of early childhood professionals.
- Clear, measurable learning objectives that demonstrate tangible takeaways for attendees.
You will be notified of your acceptance to present at the summit via email by April 1st 2025
Additional Information:
- All presenters must comply with the Ohio Approval Process.
- Please ensure your session is free from commercial endorsements or promotion of specific products or services.
- Starting Point will provide a standard audiovisual setup for each session. Additional equipment must be arranged at the presenter’s expense.
- If your presentation is in Spanish, please let us know so we can ensure that appropriate accommodations and resources are available to support your session.
- Please inform us of any accessibility needs in advance so that we can ensure appropriate accommodation(s) for all participants.