Promoting Early Childhood (PEC) 2026
Beneath Behavior: Innovative Strategies and Practices for Understanding and Responding to Children's Needs
Join us for the annual PEC Conference—a collaborative event sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) in partnership with the Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners (WECCP).
This conference brings together early childhood professionals from across the state—including public school, child care, and Head Start staff—to champion developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) and strengthen the PK-3 continuum.
Conference goals include the following:
- Promote Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP)
- Strengthen the age 3-3rd grade continuum of learning and development
- Provide networking opportunities
Official Conference Website
For the full detailed agenda, breakout session descriptions, and digital materials, please visit our primary site: Visit the PEC 2026 Google Site
Registration and Costs
Feel free to attend any day or days of the conference that work for your schedule; however, we would love to see you for all three! Registration includes breakfast, lunch, and snacks for each day of attendance.
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1-Day Pass: $100 (Student Rate: $75)
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2-Day Pass: $200 (Student Rate: $150)
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3-Day Pass: $270 (Student Rate: $225) — Best Value!
Click Here to Register for PEC 2026
Lodging Information
- Venue: Hyatt Regency Green Bay
- Booking: [Hyatt Regency Conference Room Booking Link]
- Deadline: The discounted room block closes on February 17, 2026.
Conference Highlights
Pre-Conference: Wednesday, March 4 (Select One)
- Inclusion (Special Education): Chaos to Calm: Teaching Skills Instead of Always Managing Behavior. This session is an extended opportunity to practice frameworks for decoding behavior, identifying crucial social-emotional skills, and strategizing structures that meet the needs of diverse learners (ages 3–5).
- Growing Up Naturally: An Early Childhood Educator Workshop. Step outside the traditional classroom box! This workshop focuses on nature-based lessons that put learning in the student’s control. We will explore two incredible, evidence-based curricula: Getting Little Feet Wet and Growing Up Wild (aligned with NAEYC and Head Start domains). You will leave with physical activity guides ready for immediate implementation.
Thursday, March 5: Keynote & Networking
- Keynote: Dr. Lori Desautels Session: Diving Beneath Behaviors in Early Childhood (Ages 3–8) This session reframes behavior not as “misconduct,” but as signals from a developing and sometimes dysregulated nervous system. Participants will leave with playful, relational, and restorative approaches rooted in nervous system science.
- Role-Based Networking Session: Get out of your silo and into meaningful conversation! This is a dedicated time to sit with others in your specific field—whether you are in 4K, Kindergarten, Special Education, Head Start, or Community-Based Care—to discuss strategies and shared experiences.
Friday, March 6: Keynote & Special Event
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Keynote: Ginger Healy, MSW, LCSW Session: Beneath the Behavior: Building Resilient Classrooms Ginger Healy explores how trauma shapes early brain development. Using simplified neuroscience, she will inspire participants to shift from reacting to responding, allowing children to learn co-regulation and thrive.
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Special Event: Purposeful Play Make-and-Take: No need to select a workshop for this time slot! Join the entire conference community to create tangible tools that facilitate the regulation and co-regulation concepts from our keynotes. You will leave with a ready-to-use resource and the energy of the full PEC community.
Contact Information
- Registration Questions: Lisa Wery – Lisa.Wery@dpi.wi.gov
- General PEC Questions: Tiffany Swain – swaint@cesa5.org
PEC is an early childhood collaborative event sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) in partnership with the Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners (WECCP)
