The 2023 Early Childhood Innovation Summit: New Solutions for Shared Challenges

In late June, 2023, over 90 committed changemakers converged just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, for the Early Childhood Innovation Summit, which took place at the headquarters of Bright Horizons in suburban Newton, Massachusetts. 

The Summit is an annual gathering delivered by the HeadStarter Network, an interdisciplinary, think and action community that seeks to apply best practices and innovations from technology, business, science, and academia to deliver new approaches and models to early childhood education.

The two and a half-day gathering anchored on the science of learning with opening and closing keynote sessions by neuroscientist Dr. Patricia Kuhl, co-director of the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, professor of Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of Washington, and Dr. Meredith Rowe, the Saul Zaentz professor of early learning at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Both highlighted the neuroplasticity or malleability of infant and young learners' brains, the benefits of intentional, rich language environments for all children, and the criticality of helping caregivers and educators understand these benefits.

Sandwiched between the conference's opening and closing was an intensive, half-day master class in innovation principles led by Mitch Sava, vice-president of EDULab at the National Geographic Society, and consulting partner Melissa Lobosco. The duo led hands-on activities to demonstrate innovative mindsets and methods that unlock fresh thinking and approaches to problem-solving. A highlight of the lesson was attendees learning to reframe problems as "How might we?" statements; thereby, turning challenges into opportunities. 

Following the class, attendees moved into topic-assigned, facilitator-led breakout groups called Accelerator Circles. The circles tackled top issues impacting early learning like workforce recruitment and retention, behavioral challenges in the classroom, teacher preparation, and child assessments, taking the concepts from the master class to ideate on the problem and stakeholder identification and brainstorm potential pathways for solutions. One key takeaway was attendees leaving their circles having unlocked transformative thinking that positioned them to support staff, children, and families better and move their programs and classrooms forward.

On Thursday, Dr. Dana Suskind's TMW Center for Early Learning and Public Health team led a feedback session on SPEAK CAT, a computer-adaptive version of the SPEAK (Survey of Parent/Provider Expectations and Knowledge) tool, and a parent/caregiver assessment. SPEAK measures caregiver knowledge and beliefs about child development. TMW Center research shows parents and caregivers with higher levels of knowledge and understanding of child development demonstrate an increased likelihood of fostering cognitive and social-emotional growth in children.

Lead Researcher Catherine Gaudreau and Chief Creative Officer Beth Suskind were on hand to demonstrate the tool's use and solicit feedback from attendees on the best ways to adapt it for early learning environments.

Also on hand was a powerhouse panel from across the early childhood education ecosystem sharing lessons learned from their innovation journeys as part of "Innovation Stories: Behind the Scenes." Moderated by Bright Horizons' Vice-President of Education and Development, Rachel Robertson, the insightful discussion included Peter Dixon, co-founder and chief impact officer at Storypark, Zenobia Moochhala, chief executive officer at Sittercity, and Alissa Mwenelupembe, managing director of Early Learning at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). 

The conference wasn't all work; attendees enjoyed a welcome reception kicked off by Bright Horizons' Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Kramer, and a mini-exhibit, "Innovator's Row," that showcased several vendors, researchers, and organizations driving growth and change in early learning. The lineup included: MIT Media Lab, MathTalk, TeachFX, the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children, and Temple University, to name just a few. Additionally, attendees toured the beautiful Bright Horizons' flagship center and learned about Bright Horizons' Discovery-driven™ approach to learning; after which, participants boarded a bus to Faneuil Hall Marketplace in downtown Boston. Thankfully before a deluge, they were able to sample some of Beantown's culinary favorites including lobster rolls, clam chowder, and Boston cream pie!

The HeadStarter Network enjoys deep partnerships with PNC Grow Up Great, ChildPlus, Bright Horizons, and Buffett Early Childhood Fund. Their tangible support enables the Network to convene dreamers with doers, researchers with funders, and practitioners with policymakers to solve some of the biggest challenges facing early learning.