Leadership Summit

About the Summit

Standards of Excellence
Every nonprofit organization must balance the pursuit of its mission and financial viability.  The health of the organization depends on its ability to weigh its mission, capital structure, and organizational capacity in equal measure both as individual areas of concerns as well as on a larger scale in relation to each other.  Our event theme exemplifies the shared journey of Head Start (HS) and Early Head Start (EHS) leadership in this quest.  Join us at the Leadership Summit to expand your understanding and application of management principles, quality initiatives and best practices.

A Unique Conference Experience 
The event attracts hundreds of early care and learning professionals, parents and partners from throughout the region and around the country. It is this diverse gathering of participants which gives our conference its energy and wide-reach.  Participants are encouraged to take advantage of incredible opportunities to connect with colleagues and experts in your own field and across disciplines. The conference experience is a unique blend of pre-conference events, speaker expertise, learning tracks, presentation formats as well as our corporate sponsor marketplace showcasing the latest materials and products by industry leaders. From inspiring general sessions and informative educational sessions to meaningful engagement opportunities, the Leadership Summit is designed to encourage breakthrough thinking and collaborative problem-solving.

Target Audience & Learning Objectives

With more than 50 educational sessions uniquely designed to meet the diverse interests and needs of the Head Start community, participants will not only deepen their knowledge base but also expand their awareness of key frameworks, quality initiatives and best practices.  It is the ideal management retreat experience, and grantees are encouraged to register as an organizational team: Executive Director, Head Start Director, Fiscal Officer, Content Area Managers, Board and Policy Council Chairs/Members, as well as others who hold a position of responsibility and accountability.

• Administrators & Managers: Organizations are experiencing great opportunities for reinvention or growth but many are also vulnerable to considerable risk. The health of the organization depends on its ability to effectively balance its mission, capital structure, and organizational capacity. Participants will expand their understanding and application of management principles, quality initiatives and best practices.
• Center-based & Home-based Teams: From social-emotional and cognitive skills to physical well-being and parent involvement, programs support and nurture all areas of a young child’s development and learning through coordinated and connected strategies. Participants will expand their understanding and application of prevention and intervention strategies, best practices and quality initiatives.
• Parents & Families: Parents are young children’s first and most important teachers, and their socialization is most influenced by their family. Programs engage parents and families as equal partners to support children's ongoing development and learning. Participants will explore strategies and resources to strengthen the connection between family engagement, healthy development, and school readiness.
• Board & Policy Members: Organizations recognize the importance of established and well- functioning governance bodies that share the responsibility for the delivery of high-quality services to children and families. Participants will expand their understanding of program governance as well as related elements of program design and management.
• Community Partners:  The collaboration between Head Start, families, and community agencies builds positive relationships and also supports parent progress toward their goals for themselves and their children. Community partners provide culturally and linguistically responsive services and helpful resources.  Participants will be exposed to strategies to advance their work from parent educational advancement to economic mobility to other aspects of family well-being.

Learn More and Register

[Event Page] From the real-time agenda to speaker and sponsor listings to an active registration button, our app event page provides users with access to important information.

[Tentative Schedule] Use our tentative schedule at-a-glance as a planning reference.

[COMING SOON - Confirmed Workshop Sessions by Track] Stay on the cutting edge with training sessions designed to promote best practice, innovation, and collaboration.  Sessions are confirmed and released in rounds.  Visit regularly to check for new releases!

[Registration + Payment Guidelines] Get details about event registration fees, deadlines, payment options and policies.  Members receive a discount on conference registration.  Consult/download our registration guidelines.

[Register Today] Ready, set, register!  This is a limited ticket event.  Advance purchase only; there is no onsite registration.

Download Our Event App Powered by Whova

We are using an online platform called Whova.  Once you have registered for the event, you can download the app to access the event.  All registered participants will receive an e-mail from Whova to download the app prior to the event.  To complete app download, you must use the email address entered when you registered for e event the event.  The app is compatible for download on Apple or Android devices and/or access via a mobile device or web platform on a computer.  In Whova, participants will be able to:

• View our event agenda and plan their personal schedule;
• Access handouts, pre-recorded sessions, and live webinar sessions directly within the agenda and utilize the session Q&A and chat to ask questions and interact with other participants;
• Set up in-person/virtual meetups with other attendees to connect and network;
• Create and converse through various discussion topics in the Community Board;
• Receive updates such as last-minute session changes;
• And much more!

Frequently Asked Questions

(1) Is the event in-person or hybrid? RIVHSA is hosting our Annual Training Conference & Expo (ATCE) as an in-person conference in Atlanta, Georgia.  All sessions and events will be live; there is not a virtual option.

(2) Are CEUs available for purchase at this event?  Currently, RIVHSA does not offer CEUs.  However, a certificate of attendance is available at no-cost.