The University of Montana 5th Annual ECE Summit

**ECP Credit Available**
Attendees will:
1. Understanding the true drivers of employee turnover and the costs that turnover places on programs and the entire childcare system.
2. Learn Leadership styles and strength-based coaching that supports today's childcare workforce.  
3. Learn the POWER OF THE POSITIVE -- an emotional intelligence best practice for a positive workplace culture.   

**ECP Credit Available**
Attendees will: 

1. Describe the key components of the Six R Conceptual Framework and explain how it connects to the Science of Indigenous Knowledge within early childhood education settings.

2. Explain the significance of the Seasonal Round and articulate the relationship between land, culture, and traditional storytelling as presented by the Language and Cultural Specialist.

3. Identify and develop at least two practical strategies for integrating Indigenous knowledge, storytelling, and seasonal teachings into early childhood lessons and daily classroom conversations.

**ECP Credit Available**
This workshop explores how familiar themes in early childhood classrooms can be developed into Project Based Learning (PBL) experiences. Participants will examine key distinctions between thematic units and PBL, with a focus on how learning shifts when it is organized around children’s questions, sustained inquiry, and authentic connections beyond the classroom. Using current classroom themes as a starting point, educators will analyze opportunities to deepen learning and begin adapting their work into developmentally appropriate, inquiry-driven projects. The session emphasizes practical strategies and incremental shifts that support the integration of academic content and social and emotional learning within meaningful PBL experiences.

Participants will:

• Develop a foundational understanding of Project Based Learning and how it differs from thematic units
• Examine common themes or topics and identify the shifts needed to move toward PBL
• Begin adapting a familiar theme or topic into a developmentally appropriate project and identify next steps for implementation

**ECP Credit Available**
Attendees will:

• Analyze Mathematical & Cultural Structures: Participants will use beadwork tools to identify mathematical concepts—such as line symmetry, tessellations, or iterative patterns—while identifying how these designs reflect the unique cultural identities and histories of Montana’s Tribal Nations (Essential Understanding 2).
• Evaluate Pedagogical Impact through IEFA: Participants will assess how tactile, culturally grounded activities promote Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and challenge the "single story" of mathematics by recognizing that math is a human endeavor inherent to all cultures (Essential Understanding 3).
• Adapt Instructional Tools for Local Context: Participants will develop a plan to integrate beadwork into their grade-level standards, ensuring they use tribal-specific resources accurately and respectfully to honor the diversity of Montana’s twelve tribal nations (Essential Understanding 1).

**ECP Credit Available**
Attendees will:

1. Learn how to access MSL resources
2. Receive tools to help empower caregivers to improve early learning outcomes for the children in their lives
3. Find out how you can partner with the Montana State Library and your local library in programming that helps children learn how to learn! 

**ECP Credit Available**
Tired of the same old read-aloud routines? Ready to reimagine literacy through the power of the arts? Tiny Toy Tales transforms beloved children’s literature into immersive, arts-integrated storytelling experiences that ignite imagination and deepen comprehension. Using familiar titles stories are thoughtfully adapted into dynamic performances using tiny toys, handcrafted props, and visual tableaux. In this workshop, participants will observe a Tiny Toy Tale, receive the materials to make their own, and have time to assemble it! Come ready to create, collaborate, and bring stories to life—one tiny prop at a time!
Learning outcomes:
Participants will be able to design and construct an arts-integrated storytelling experience using miniature props and visual tableaux.
Participants will analyze how arts-based adaptations of children’s literature can enhance student engagement and comprehension.
Participants will apply creative storytelling techniques to transform familiar texts into interactive, performance-based literacy activities.

**ECP Credit Available**
Session Description
In this session, we will delve into the four core goals of anti-bias education—identity, diversity, justice, and action—along with essential social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies that promote collaboration, independence, and emotional well-being in young children.
Through the examination of thoughtfully designed early childhood projects, you will see how these learning goals can be effectively integrated into meaningful, learner-centered experiences. The session will emphasize practical strategies for embedding anti-bias education goals and SEL competencies, giving you the tools you need for current projects and future planning.
This session is designed to be inclusive and relevant for all educators, offering actionable insights to create supportive learning environments that celebrate the uniqueness of every child.

Attend this session to:

• Develop an understanding of the four goals of anti-bias education and their significance in early childhood settings.
• Identify and understand key social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies that promote collaboration, independence, and emotional well-being in young children.
• Explore the connection between project-based learning (PBL) and SEL, recognizing how PBL naturally integrates SEL competencies through relevant problems and meaningful contexts.
• Gain strategies for embedding anti-bias goals and SEL competencies into PBL units through relevant, learner-centered experiences, and refine an existing project by focusing on specific areas to incorporate these goals more intentionally.
  

**ECP Credit Available**
Participants will:
1. Identify their own personal leadership styles and discover how it impacts their work with families and the community
2. Evaluate their own strengths and areas for growth as leaders in the early care and education field
3. Develop a personal action plan outlining leadership goals, next steps and strategies for professional development. 

**ECP Credit Available**

1. Participants will receive an overview of Indian Education for All
   
   • Mission
   • Law
   • IEFA Learning Targets
   • Book Vetting
2. Culture and Language
   
   • Multi-Cultural...
   • Existing Lesson Plans
3. Participants will create a lesson plan(s) that:
   
   • aligns to Ch 63 Early Learning Domains and Standards, and includes:
     
     • at least one IEFA essential understanding, and
     • at least one text that includes those with cultural significance to Montana Indigenous Peoples. 

**ECP Credit Available**
Tired of the same old read-aloud routines? Ready to reimagine literacy through the power of the arts? Tiny Toy Tales transforms beloved children’s literature into immersive, arts-integrated storytelling experiences that ignite imagination and deepen comprehension. Using familiar titles stories are thoughtfully adapted into dynamic performances using tiny toys, handcrafted props, and visual tableaux. In this workshop, participants will observe a Tiny Toy Tale, receive the materials to make their own, and have time to assemble it! Come ready to create, collaborate, and bring stories to life—one tiny prop at a time!
Learning outcomes:
Participants will be able to design and construct an arts-integrated storytelling experience using miniature props and visual tableaux.
Participants will analyze how arts-based adaptations of children’s literature can enhance student engagement and comprehension.
Participants will apply creative storytelling techniques to transform familiar texts into interactive, performance-based literacy activities.