Professional Development
Ongoing professional development is essential for early childhood educators to grow their skills, stay informed about best practices, and remain connected to the broader field. This page highlights upcoming conferences, trainings, and other professional development opportunities, along with information about conferences that take place annually in Wisconsin and beyond. Whether you’re looking to build new skills, earn continuing education credits, or connect with other professionals, these opportunities are designed to support your continued learning and career growth.
Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities
Make Play Learn Conference 2026
July 8-10, 2026 | Madison, WI
The Play Make Learn Conference is a place for collaboration and discovery in the design, research and practice of playful learning, games for learning and positive social impact, making and makerspaces, STEAM education, and arts in education. PML creates an inspirational space for preK-12 educators, designers, developers, innovators, librarians, museum professionals, makers, and researchers to tinker together, share knowledge, and celebrate one another’s work.
Free Webinar: What in the world is going on with the vaccine schedule?
July 23, 2026, 1:00–2:00 pm | Virtual
Are you confused by all the bits and pieces of changes to the childhood vaccine schedule over the past year? It’s hard to keep up, even for health care practitioners. In this webinar, we’ll talk about what hasn’t changed (spoiler: most of it), what has changed, and where to find reliable, accurate, and up-to-date information. As always, we will share practical tips on how to talk to families who have questions or are confused about getting their kids immunized!
This webinar is pending approval of 1.0 hours of continuing education credit with the Wisconsin Registry.
Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health (WI-AIMH) Conference 2026
October 27-28, 2026 | Elkhart Lake, WI
The Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health (WI-AIMH) promotes the social and emotional well-being of Wisconsin children from birth through age five by supporting families and professionals across disciplines. This conference features nationally-known speakers, as well as presenters from around Wisconsin, sharing information about promoting social and emotional development in everyday activities for infants, young children, and their families, as well as early intervention and treatment strategies.
Annual Conferences
Wisconsin Early Childhood Association Conference
The Wisconsin Early Childhood Association annual conference is an important training and professional development opportunity for early childhood educators. The event brings together expert and engaging keynote presenters, breakout groups, interactive sessions and other workshops to engage, inspire and educate. The event attracts hundreds of attendees from across the state, country and world each year.
Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health Conference
The annual Wisconsin Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Conference brings together professionals across disciplines working with, or on behalf of, babies, young children and their families to connect, learn, and grow. Presenters share information about promoting social and emotional development in everyday activities for infants and young children, as well as early intervention and treatment strategies.
NAEYC Conference
The NAEYC Annual Conference is the largest gathering of early childhood professionals in the world, offering hundreds of sessions, workshops, and exhibits on research, best practices, policy, and innovation in early learning. It connects educators, leaders, researchers, and advocates for networking, professional development, and to shape the future of the field, focusing on diverse perspectives and practical, research-based strategies.
Fathers in Focus Conference
Fathers In Focus is a free, full-day conference dedicated to empowering fathers and promoting positive fatherhood practices. The event brings together fathers, mentors, coaches, and allies to explore topics such as co-parenting, parenting and relationship skills, child support and finances, custody challenges, mental health, and support for justice-involved families. Registration is free and open to all—not just fathers!
Early Childhood Education Conference at University of Wisconsin–Stout
Through research-based practices, collaborative dialogue, and innovative approaches, this theme invites educators to examine how nurturing both the whole child and the whole educator contributes to stronger, more connected, and emotionally supportive learning environments.
Early Childhood Conference at University of Wisconsin–Whitewater
We’re bringing all the energy, learning, and connection of our traditional two-day event into an action-packed one-day experience—making it easier than ever to join us for high-quality professional development and networking with early childhood professionals from across the region.
Raising Wisconsin’s Children Conference
The Raising Wisconsin’s Children Conference is a free, online event hosted by UW–Madison Extension, themed “Helping Children Thrive When Life Gets Tough.” Held February 4, 2026, via Zoom, the conference features expert-led sessions on resilience, emotional regulation, compassionate caregiving, and digital well-being for parents, caregivers, educators, and child-serving professionals. Six continuing education credits are available for Wisconsin childcare providers and licensed social workers. Sessions are recorded for later viewing.
Early Learning Leaders Conference
One of our most popular conference excursions, the Early Learning Center Tours offer a unique opportunity to step inside high-quality child care programs in the local community. Participants will enjoy guided visits to two early learning centers that reflect excellence and innovation in early care and education. These tours are designed to expand horizons, spark fresh ideas, and provide practical inspiration you can bring back to your own program. Whether you are looking for new approaches to programming, environment design, or operational practices, this experience offers valuable perspectives to support exceptional early learning outcomes.
Leadership Connections Conference
The McCormick Institute’s Leadership Connections conference features interactive sessions and captivating keynote speakers specifically for leaders in early childhood education and care (ECEC): center-based, school-based, and family child care program administrators, program coordinators, technical assistance specialists, advocates, researchers, and more. The 2026 conference will feature a Family Child Care track, with specialized sessions designed for those seeking to enhance their businesses and leadership skills in the family child care home setting. Several conference workshop sessions will be offered in Spanish.
WCCAA Conference
The WCCAA Annual Conference, themed “Celebrate Us,” takes place April 30–May 1, 2026, at the Oshkosh Marriott Waterfront Hotel & Convention Center in Oshkosh, WI. This two-day gathering brings together child care administrators and early childhood professionals for inspiring keynote speakers, professional development, and an awards ceremony. Topics span early education leadership, policy, advocacy, and workforce resilience — making it a premier event for Wisconsin’s child care community.
World Forum Foundation Conference
Join early childhood professionals, colleagues and advocates from 40+ countries for an informative and inspiring experience as we gather in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to grow a global community and movement to impact young children and their families, today and into the future. Experience and contribute to open dialogue, sincere storytelling, and cross-culture curiosity through both structured and informal opportunities to connect early childhood professionals like YOU from around the world.
Online Professional Development
OHR Course Catalog
UW-Madison offers professional development opportunities through the Office of Human Resources that are open to campus child care center staff. Browse the OHR Course Catalog for courses related to youth or wellness.
NAEYC Online Learning
NAEYC’s online professional development is designed with busy educators in mind. Their online resources provide self-paced, interactive learning that connects professional knowledge to daily practice through practical strategies.
WECA Online Learning
WECA offers training and professional development opportunities on a variety of topics relevant to early childhood professionals, some of which offer Wisconsin Registry continuing education hours.