Bright Horizons Hosts Unique Virtual On-Demand Spark Summit for Educators and Families

November 27, 2023 – Bright Horizons will host the Spark Summit the inaugural research-to-practice event of the National Center for Early Education Excellence at Bright Horizons. The free on-demand conference will be held from November 27 through December 17 and will allow educators and families to hear from prominent researchers in the early childhood education field and will include key learnings and tools to apply in the classroom or home.

Established in 2023, the goal of the National Center for Early Education Excellence at Bright Horizons is to elevate the collective understanding of early education quality and make research practical through collaboration with thought leaders, practitioners, faculty, and students.

The conference will feature two tracks, one for educators and one for families. Attendees will choose their preferred track and build their own experience, allowing them to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule. Sessions include research topics on play, behavior, resilience, executive function, early math, language development, and more.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from a host of prominent early childhood experts including:

• Dr. Patricia Kuhl, Professor of Speech and Hearing Sciences and co-director of the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington 
• Dr. Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek, Stanley and Debra Lefkowitz Faculty Fellow in the Department of Psychology at Temple University and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution
• Dr. Stephanie Carlson, developmental psychologist, Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota, and Co-founder of Reflections Sciences Inc. 
• Dr. Nermeen Dashoush, Clinical Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education at Boston University
• Dr. Nefertiti Poyner, early childhood specialist and national trainer with the Devereux Center for Resilient Children 
• Rachel Wagner, MSW, early childhood mental health specialist and national trainer with the Devereux Center for Resilient Children 
• Dr. Samina Hadi-Tabassum, Dean of the School of Education at Elmhurst University 
• Dr. Mary Louise Hemmeter, Professor of Special Education at Vanderbilt University
• Dr. Deborah Stipek, Professor of Education and (by courtesy) Psychology at Stanford University 

To register for Spark Summit, visit here.