Growing Together Summer Summit 2024
A Virtual Professional Learning Experience for Early Childhood Educators
Promoting Joyful Literacy, Equity and Play in PreK through 2nd Grade Classrooms
July 16, 17, 18
1:00-3:30pm ET/10:00am-12:30pm PT on Zoom
Join us for presentations, workshops and gathering spaces focused on creating emotionally, culturally, and developmentally responsive teaching and learning experiences for young children.
We welcome new and returning Summer Summit participants.
There will be a variety of topics offered with new session titles for 2024!
School-based educators, including classroom teachers, leaders, specialists, authors, and consultants from a range of settings, will share current and powerful scholarship, strategies, and structures.
Gift yourself the opportunity to connect with other colleagues, learn together, recommit to your passion for teaching, and work to protect and promote your beliefs and practices as a joyful, creative, and responsive educator.
Registration opens May 1st!
If you are not ready to register but would like reminders or updates, please fill out this form.
If you would like to pay by purchase order, please email rachel@wegrowtogetherllc.com.
Summit Topics
Cultivating Powerful Family-School Partnerships through Creative and Authentic Interactive Experiences
Nurturing Identities, Emotional Health, and Relationships through Curriculum and Community
Crafting Emotionally and Culturally Responsive Lessons - Read Aloud, Storytelling, Writing, and More
Embracing Nature-Based Experiences as Pathways to Academic Growth, Emotional Health, and Environment Awareness
Practical and Powerful Ways to Incorporate Playful and Joyful Learning into Your Daily Schedule
Leveraging the Benefits of Play and Experiential Learning to Support Pro-Social Learning and Curriculum-Specific Outcomes
Leading School-Wide Initiatives to Foster a More Inclusive, Emotionally-Centered Community
Advocacy at the Classroom, School, and Community Level for Emotionally, Developmentally, and Culturally Responsive Practices
Reviews from 2023 Summit Participants
"A powerful injection of playful inspiration. Being surrounded by thoughtful educators committed to playful learning, within an easy-to-navigate and welcoming online space was a treat. Thank you for organizing this learning opportunity!" -Megina Baker, Project Zero at Harvard University and Boston Public Schools
"The workshops were very insightful. I walked away from this 3 day summit eager to share my learning with colleagues and begin to implement these practices in my own classroom." -Ashley, NYC educator
"Truly an inspirational experience!" Colleen Flaherty, First Grade Teacher, Red Bank, NJ
"I am thankful to have these workshops to teach into literacy, play, and family engagement which I can use immediately in September to enhance my classroom for myself, students, and their families! As a first time Kindergarten teacher, I collected so many strategies that will be useful to take with me in this new experience!" -Kelvin Sage, NYC educator
"The Growing Together Summit was a phenomenal learning experience from start to finish. The summit was thoughtfully prepared and leveraged ECE expert voices as well as participant knowledge. It was a pleasure to learn from and with the summit participants!" -Maura Shetty, Assistant Professor
We are excited to announce our opening speaker,
Arlène Elizabeth Casimir!
Founder of Reveye, an educational consultancy and awakening collaborative
Arlène's is a teacher, herbalist, healer, and writer.
Her wisdom and light shines in her publications, Trauma-Responsive Pedagogy and her new picture book, Back Home: Story Time with My Father.
Join us as we celebrate the recent publication of this powerful and beautiful book that Arlène describes as a love letter to her ancestral homeland of Haiti, filled with beautiful, nurturing stories from her father. We are so grateful to Arlène for opening our summit with her spoken and written words about family, identity, and story. Pre-order your copy here!
On Day 2 we will be learning from our featured speaker,
Haeny Yoon!
Associate Professor and Program Director of Early Childhood at Teachers College, Columbia University
Haeny's work explores the ways teachers and children negotiate spaces of play as pedagogical, curricular, and intellectual practice. She is co-author of Rethinking Early Literacies: Reading and Rewriting Worlds and editor of the Literacy and Play volume of Literacy Today.
She is co-host of a Digital Futures produced podcast, Pop and Play, holding serious and playful conversations with researchers, educators, designers, children, and media-makers about the role of play and creativity in their personal and professional lives.
Meet our Dynamic Presenter Team!
Additional Presenters Coming Soon
Aida Sanchez-Lobashov
Reading and Data Specialist
Equity Team Leader, Grant Avenue Elementary School, Bronx NY
Neurodivergent Advocate
Alison Porcelli
District Staff Developer, Katonah-Lewisboro School District, NY
Co-Author of Purposeful Play:A Teacher’s Guide to Igniting Deep and Joyful Learning Across the Day
Camille Sieunarine
New York City Lead Elementary Teacher
Equity Team Member and Community Liaison, New Bridges Elementary School
Janki Bhatt
Literacy Specialist, Special Educator, Yoga Instructor, and Reiki Healer
Specializations include social and emotional learning and trauma-informed practices
Kris McPherson
New York City Model Educator, Waterside Children's Studio School, Queens, NY
Equity Team Leader, Integrated Co-Teacher and Coach specializing in teaching autistic students
Mya Wilson
Assistant Principal, New Bridges Elementary in NYC
Former Culture Coordinator and Pre-K Classroom Teacher
Children's Book Author - Do Different and Love You Still
Liz Franchi
Transitional Kindergarten Teacher, Santa Monica, CA
Cotsen Foundation Fellow, UCLA Math Project leader
Nature-Based Learning Educator and Advocate
Shan White
NYC Lead Elementary Teacher and Leaders in Education Apprenticeship Program (LEAP) Apprentice
Fundations Facilitator, New Teacher Mentor, and Equity Team Member- New Bridges Elementary School
Educational Expedition Leader who guides students through immersive experiences that transcend traditional classroom boundaries
Registration opens May 1st! Click here to register
$95 Registration. Alternative pricing available to ensure equitable access!