Morgan, Associate Center Director:
I was lucky enough to be selected to attend the 2025 HighScope Conference. I am one of the newer center directors and Encompass employees in general, so I was eager to learn more about our curriculum and how to best implement it across the classrooms. I attended six different sessions- including “Administrators New to High Scope”, “Opening the Cultural Door”, “Learning in a Trusting Environment”, “Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Early Childhood Programs”, “Large Group Time Learning”, and “Let’s Trade Spaces- Teacher Exchanges”. I was also able to hear a keynote speech by Dr. Joshua Sparrow about how trauma can have an impact on a child’s development, which was a fascinating and eye opening lesson. I learned so much during this conference- on both the leadership side and the educator side of HighScope. I know that attending this conference had an impact on me and gave me a lot of ideas to try throughout our center. It was also great to have opportunities to chat with people from many different areas who also use HighScope curriculum and bounce ideas off each other. I am so thankful that I was able to attend this conference and I will always carry what I learned with me in my future at Encompass!
Some quotes throughout the week that really stood out to me:
“You may not always be the person who helps, but you can always be the person who cares.”
“Broken crayons still color- keep coloring.”
“The children may wear us out, but they’re the ones who keep us going.”
Sara, Child and Family Advocate:
Attending the HighScope Conference might be the highlight of my year. Being new to Encompass and to the curriculum, I was ready to learn as much as I could. The conference spanned three days and I was able to attend a variety of sessions that covered topics of emotional intelligence, transitions in the classroom, building resilience, embracing diversity, and creating effective large group time. Being a previous educator and now in my role as a child and family advocate, I loved being able to see how beneficial this information would be to all of our centers. This conference gave me a deeper appreciation for how the HighScope approach not only supports children’s development but also empowers educators and advocates like myself to create more intentional, inclusive, and supportive environments. The sessions were rich with practical strategies and meaningful insights that I’m excited to bring back and share with my colleagues. I left the conference feeling inspired, more connected to the mission of Encompass, and motivated to help integrate what I’ve learned into both classroom practices and family engagement efforts. Most of all, I realized that continuous learning and collaboration are key to making a lasting impact in the lives of children and their families.
Stand out quotes:
“We need to focus on practice based evidence rather than evidence based practice.”
“There is no single answer on the best way to educate our children.”
“We need to attend to our own feelings with the same compassion we give to others.”
“Others before self- but not at the expense of self.”
