Early Educators Focus on Social, Emotional Well-Being in a Changing World at Early Years Conference

The San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) recently welcomed nearly 900 local educators, administrators, caregivers, and community leaders to the 23rd annual Early Years Conference in San Diego.

With a theme of Supporting Young Children in a Changing World, the conference combined evidence-based education practices with a focus on whole-child well-being to help attendees support young children and the adults who care for them in today’s evolving landscape.

“Conference attendees work with young children during their most formative years,” shared Noemy Salas, director of early education for SDCOE. “We support them in responding to the ever-changing conditions in our schools and communities by providing strategies and services that promote resilience, social emotional wellness, and school readiness,” she said.

In her Friday keynote address, author Julie Kurtz described early educators as “brain architects,” helping children develop connection, compassion, and growth during the busiest years for neural development. The author of several books on trauma-informed practices in early education and the award-winning children’s book, Understanding My Brain: Becoming Human(E)! reflected on how caregivers and educators can empower children to understand and regulate their feelings and sensations.

Saturday’s keynote speaker, Dr. Nermeen Dashoush, clinical associate professor of early childhood education at Boston University and a founding educator of MarcoPolo Learning, celebrated the important role educators and caregivers play in helping children develop healthy executive functioning.

Dashoush explained executive functions, including attention, self-regulation, working memory, and flexible thinking, are central to children’s academic success, emotional well-being, and sense of belonging. She shared how she believes small classroom moments can have a big impact when educators view individual behaviors through the lens of childhood neural development.

Breakout sessions in English and Spanish covered topics such as early education best practices, pathways for leadership, and caregiver and educator wellness. Several of the sessions included a focus on play as a crucial tool in building children’s emotional resilience and building an environment for joyful learning. Each day concluded with a sound healing session sponsored by California Schools VEBA.

“This event is also an opportunity to come together as a community of early educators — to ensure they feel seen, valued, and respected for their daily contributions, and to recognize that without their essential work caring for our youngest learners, society simply would not function,” Noemy said.

Sponsors of the event included San Diego College of Continuing Education, YMCA, San Diego Foundation, and First 5 San Diego.