Still have questions? Reach out to our planning committee below!
Spring 2026
Conference for Early Learning Educators
Professional Development for Gwinnett's Early Childhood Educators
We invite you to our Impact Lab Conference, a professional learning opportunity for early childhood educators serving all areas of Gwinnett County. We are excited about connecting our early learning community, sending you home with some great resources, and celebrating all you do for Gwinnett’s youngest learners.
THE DETAILS
Who: Educators Supporting Children Birth through Age Five in Gwinnett
Where: Hosted at Gwinnett School of Math, Science, and Technology (GSMST)
When: Saturday, March 14, 2026 from 8:00 am-3:30pm
Participants will enjoy a high-quality learning experience, as well as countless free resources and teaching tools! 5 Bright from the Start credits are available for those who attend the entirety of the conference.
Meet our Opening Session Speaker
Dr. Babak Mostaghimi
Designing the Future Through Early Learning
Babak will be delivering an insightful presentation on the critical role of brain development in shaping our approach to teaching early learners. His talk will delve into how understanding the intricacies of brain growth and cognitive development can significantly influence the decisions we make in the classroom. He will explore how early experiences and interactions impact a child’s learning and development, providing practical strategies for educators to foster an environment that supports optimal brain development. By integrating the latest research in neuroscience with classroom practices, He will offer valuable guidance on creating effective learning experiences that cater to the developmental needs of young children.
Gwinnett’s commitment to early learning extends beyond research and statistics. It thrives on collaboration, partnerships, and community engagement. In this session, you will hear about a transformative community initiative, Gwinnett Building Babies’ Brains, that unites stakeholders, including parents, educators, local organizations, and community members. Together, we are building a foundation for ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive in Kindergarten and beyond.
Dr. Babak Mostaghimi is an educator and innovator who serves as a Founding Partner at LearnerStudio where he leads efforts that accelerate progress towards a learner-centered future where young people are inspired and prepared to flourish in life, career, and democracy in the age of AI. Babak began his education career as a teacher in Mississippi, where he was the 2008 District Teacher of the Year. He went on to serve in various roles supporting grassroots and policy efforts across the country. Babak later served as an Assistant Superintendent in GCPS where he supported numerous efforts for learners ranging from birth to 12th grade. Babak is dedicated to causes that support young people to achieve their dreams and serves on many boards including Project Invent, CommonLit, the Northeast Georgia Council, BSA, Learning Commons, the TFA Reinvention Council, and the Harvard Center for Public Leadership. He is currently a Reach Forward Fellow at Reach Capital and a Think Forward Fellow at the Center on Reinventing Public Education. Babak holds a Doctorate in Education Leadership and a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard and a Bachelor’s Degree from Johns Hopkins.
BreakOut Session Descriptions
Aligning the Standards – Preschool, Pre-K and Kindergarten
In this session, participants will explore how the Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS) align with the Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) standards. GELDS are used by early learning centers and preschools, while AKS are the standards followed by Gwinnett County Public Schools.
Beyond the Book: Tips for High Engagement During Interactive Read Alouds
Leading an engaging and interactive storytime may seem daunting, but we all have the tools you need to make it a success. Books and reading play a pivotal role in the development of early learners and contribute greatly to building their earliest literacy skills. There are additional elements that can be included in a storytime beyond books that can make a difference in the overall impact the book has and improve the experience for both teacher and children alike.
BrainWaves: Regulation through Integration
In this session, teachers will learn ways to strengthen community connections. This session will provide valuable strategies to help educators connect with local resources, including libraries, parks, and community
services, to enhance the learning experiences of young children.
Building Better Behavior Through Visual Supports
This professional development session focuses on behavior management through the use of clear, student-friendly visuals.
Educators will learn how to create and implement a simple token economy using a First/Then visual (e.g., First: work. Then: candy) to support student motivation, predictability, and self-regulation. Participants will actively build their own visual tools and discuss how visuals can reduce problem behaviors while increasing engagement and task completion across classroom settings.
Building Community Connections
In this session, teachers will learn ways to strengthen community connections. This session will provide valuable strategies to help educators connect with local resources, including libraries, parks, and community services, to enhance the learning experiences of young children.
Calm and Confident
This session equips early childhood educators to define and understand challenging behavior, explore the biological, environmental, and cultural factors that may contribute to behavior difficulties, and practice a range of positive guidance strategies—such as redirection, emotional coaching, and problem-solving—to support young children’s development and classroom success.
Circle Time Remix: Fun, Fresh, and Full of Engagement
Circle Time Remix: Fun, Fresh, and Full of Engagement reimagines what makes circle time truly meaningful and joyful for young children. Participants will explore practical do’s and don’ts, along with developmentally appropriate strategies that spark curiosity, encourage participation, and honor children’s attention spans. This professional learning session offers fresh, flexible activity ideas designed to keep circle time engaging, responsive, and fun for every learner.
Co-Regulation – Supporting Emotional Regulation in Young Children
Young children do not yet have the ability to self-regulate consistently—they borrow regulation from the adults around them. Co-regulation is the process by which calm, attuned adults help children manage emotions, stress, and behavior until they are developmentally ready to do so independently.
This session focuses on how teachers’ tone, body language, and responses directly shape children’s emotional regulation. Participants will learn how co-regulation works, why dysregulated adults unintentionally escalate behavior, and how to respond to challenging moments in ways that reduce power struggles and build emotional safety.
Teachers will leave with practical scripts, posture cues, and strategies to use during real-time emotional moments in the classroom.
Executive Functioning Skills in Early Childhood
Executive functioning skills are the foundation for learning, behavior, and emotional development. In early childhood settings, these skills are still emerging and must be taught, modeled, and supported through daily routines—not expected by default.
This session helps early learning center teachers understand what executive functioning actually looks like in young children, why many behaviors are developmentally appropriate rather than “defiant,” and how to intentionally build these skills through simple, repeatable classroom strategies.
Teachers will leave with concrete tools they can use immediately to support attention, impulse control, emotional flexibility, and task completion in toddlers and preschoolers. This session focuses on how teachers’ tone, body language, and responses directly shape children’s emotional regulation. Participants will learn how co-regulation works, why dysregulated adults unintentionally escalate behavior, and how to respond to challenging moments in ways that reduce power struggles and build emotional safety.
Teachers will leave with practical scripts, posture cues, and strategies to use during real-time emotional moments in the classroom.
Incorporating Math Development: The Physical Environment and Classroom Materials
Did you know that math can be fun? Even for our youngest learners, they can enjoy math. In this training we discuss how to add math to your daily activities. This training will assist Child Care Educators with information to assist them with math in their daily learning centers and routines.
Integrating Vocabulary Into Read Alouds
In the session “Integrating Vocabulary into Read Alouds,” participants will learn effective techniques for enriching read aloud experiences by seamlessly incorporating vocabulary building strategies. This session will cover methods for selecting and introducing new vocabulary in engaging ways, using context and interactive activities to reinforce word learning. Attendees will gain practical tools for enhancing language development and comprehension during read-alouds.
Literacy That Works for You: Embedding Reading, Writing, and Data Collection into Your Daily Routine
Early childhood teachers are expected to integrate literacy across the day and collect meaningful data—without sacrificing engagement or instructional time. This session focuses on practical, realistic strategies for embedding reading and writing into circle time, play-based centers, and read-alouds while maintaining fidelity in data collection. We will explore how to maximize activities they are already doing, learn simple systems for collecting data at the moment.
Loose Parts Play and How It Supports Literacy Development
What happens when a stick becomes a character and a rock becomes a setting? Literacy comes to life. In this playful, hands-on session, we’ll explore how loose parts play naturally supports early literacy for children. You’ll see how open-ended materials invite kids to tell stories, imagine possibilities, and engage in meaningful conversation—all key foundations for reading and writing. Walk away with simple ways to use everyday materials to spark language, storytelling, and imagination in any early childhood setting.
Modeling Self-Care in Early Care and Learning
This training focuses on educator self-care as a critical tool to support children’s coping and regulation in the classroom. We discuss the stress cycle and signs of burnout, while exploring ways to break the stress cycle by practicing healthy habits and ongoing self-care. Attendees receive links to Strong4Life tipsheets and videos breaking down the steps to evidence-based coping strategies including deep breathing, grounding, progressive muscle relaxation, journaling, and more.
Play With a Purpose
In the session “Play with a Purpose,” participants will discover how to turn playtime into meaningful learning experiences. This session will provide strategies for using purposeful play to support cognitive, social, and emotional development in children. Attendees will explore hands on activities and techniques to create engaging, educational play experiences that align with developmental goals and enhance learning outcomes.
Small Shifts Big Wins
Feeling like you’re spending more time managing behavior than connecting and teaching? If your classroom has “hotspots” that trigger conflict or overstimulation, this session is for you. We’ll explore how successful classrooms are intentionally designed—using a relationship-first approach to behavior, simple environmental adjustments to reduce triggers and support regulation, and practical ways to adapt activities, routines, and transitions so every child can access learning. You’ll also learn proactive team strategies like staff zoning and purposeful positioning to strengthen supervision, reduce problem areas, and create smoother flow, with real examples and step-by-step tools you can adapt to suit your style.
The Independent Classroom
This session introduces educators to structured task box systems that build independence, confidence, and fluency for students with autism. Participants will learn why visual structure reduces cognitive load, how task boxes answer the four essential work-cycle questions, and what makes an effective, low-cost task station. The session covers how to design and organize tasks across fine motor, academic, and functional skill areas using mastered skills only. Educators will also explore how to teach the system through clear instruction, guided practice, and prompt fading to support true independence. Attendees will leave with practical strategies they can implement immediately to create predictable, supportive learning routines.
The Power of Listening: Building Trust with Children, Families, and Colleagues
When adults feel heard, trust grows—and trust is the foundation of strong relationships in early learning environments. In this interactive session, participants will explore practical empathetic listening strategies that support meaningful connections with children, families, and colleagues. Through hands-on practice and real-world scenarios, attendees will learn how to listen in ways that demonstrate care, de-escalate emotions, and strengthen relationships—no matter their role in a birth-to-five setting.
The Trauma Resource Institute’s Community Resiliency Model (CRM®)
In the session “The Trauma Resource Institute’s Community Resiliency Model (CRM)®,” participants will explore the principles and practices of CRM®, a proven approach for enhancing individual and community resilience in the face of trauma. This session will introduce the core components of CRM®, including techniques for building resilience, understanding trauma’s impact, and applying practical strategies to support recovery and well-being. Attendees will gain valuable insights and tools to implement CRM® principles effectively in their own communities and professional settings.
Think Outside the Bin Box
Sensory Bins: Discover the power of sensory play in early childhood education through the creative use of sensory bins. This interactive session will explore how sensory bins support cognitive, language, fine motor, and social-emotional development in birth–PreK settings. Participants will learn how to design purposeful sensory experiences that align with learning goals, promote curiosity, and foster independence. From seasonal themes to literacy and math integration, educators will leave with practical ideas and inspiration to implement sensory bins that spark joy and meaningful learning in young children.
Unlocking Little Minds: Multisensory Literacy Tools for Early Childhood Success
This session explores how multisensory experiences support early language and literacy development from birth to age five. Educators will learn practical, play-based strategies that engage children through movement, touch, sound, and visual supports. The session highlights ways to adapt multisensory tools for diverse learners and embed them naturally into daily routines and centers. Participants will leave with simple, developmentally appropriate ideas they can implement right away to strengthen emergent literacy skills.
“What is the Problem?”- Practical Strategies for Teaching Social Skills & Problem-Solving in Preschool
In the session “What is the Problem?”—Practical Strategies for Teaching Social Skills & Problem-Solving in Preschool, participants will explore effective methods for teaching young children essential social skills and problem-solving abilities. This session will provide hands-on strategies and practical tools for addressing common social challenges and fostering positive interactions among preschoolers. Attendees will learn how to create a supportive learning environment that encourages conflict resolution, empathy, and critical thinking through engaging activities and real-world scenarios.
Our PArtners
Register To Attend The Impact Lab
Join us as we continue to make a positive impact on our
early learning community!
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Still have questions? Reach out to our planning committee below!
Take the Child Development Survey by answering questions based on what your child is able to do at their current age. Then we will provide you with a personalized list of resources that can help your child thrive in Kindergarten.
