2024 LEARN Conference

LEARN with us in Long Beach at the biggest and best early childhood conference of the year!

When: July 31-August 1, 2024
Where: Long Beach Convention Center

Empowering early childhood professionals through community

Cutting-edge information and research, discussion focused on innovations in the field and a chance to share your insights on where we’re heading.
Networking opportunities with top administrators, teachers, clinicians, adult educators, researchers and those involved in shaping policy and programs.
More than 70 sessions on early childhood topics you won’t find anywhere else.
Continuing Education Units for all ZERO TO THREE LEARN Conference attendees.

Meet our 2024 LEARN Conference spotlight speakers

We pride ourselves on having one of the best, most diverse lineups of any early childhood conference — and our roster is setting up to be one for the books! From early childhood’s everyday heroes to the familiar faces you know and love, this year’s speaker lineup showcases some of early childhood’s most inspiring thinkers, leaders, researchers and doers.

Dr. Mariel Buqué, PhD

Keynote Speaker

Dixon Chibanda, MD

Practice Plenary Speaker

Walter Gilliam, PhD

Research/Science Plenary Speaker

Miriam Calderón

Policy Plenary Speaker

Jackie Thu-Huong Wong

Policy Plenary Speaker

Elizabeth Zamudio

Policy Plenary Speaker

Not a member? Register with an Early Childhood Conference Plus ticket to add a one-year membership to your order and save $75 on your registration fees.

Need help with your registration?
Get in touch by sending an email to learnconference@zerotothree.org or calling us at (202) 624-1754.
We would be happy to assist you.

Register with your team.

Connect your entire team with the latest professional development tools and endless networking opportunities at the ZERO TO THREE LEARN Conference. Groups of five or more will receive a $40 discount on each registration.
Registering a group of 10 or more? Please Call (202) 624-1754

Couldn't make it to LEARN Conference last year?

Check out the gallery from past conferences.

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Platinum Sponsor

Advocate Sponsors

Wall-to-wall wow

It’s finally here! Packed to the brim with stimulating presentations, substantive conversations and experiential learning, this year’s LEARN Conference will give you the perspective you need: hear inspiring keynotes and speakers, participate in knowledge exchange sessions, gather different viewpoints from your peers, learn something new and maybe even discover a new approach to an issue you’ve been wrestling with for a while.

Schedule At A Glance

Pre-Conference Programming

DC:0-5™ Clinical Training

Monday, July 29—Tuesday, July 30
9AM–4PM

Pre-Conference Forums

Tuesday, July 30
9AM–4PM

Power Play: A Play-Based Approach to Equity, Belonging and Leadership with Nat Vikitsreth, LCSW, DT, CEIM
Come Back to Care

and

Diversity-Informed Reflective Supervision and Consultation: A Road to Transformational Change and Liberation in Reflective Supervision and Consultation with Carmen Rosa Noroña, LICSW, MSEd, IECMH-E® & Nucha Isarowong, PhD, LICSW, IMH-E®, Advanced Clinical Training (ACT) Program, Barnard Center for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, University of Washington

To Register:
Complete your LEARN Conference Registration and add your selected Forum on Page 2 of the Registration Form.

Special Screening and Panel Discussion: Black Boys

Tuesday, July 30
4:30 PM

Bold. Breathtaking. Inspiring. Join us for a special screening of the highly acclaimed documentary, “Black Boys,” a window into the experiences of African American boys and men as they navigate a world not built to honor their humanity.

Wednesday, July 31
(Day 1)

7:00–7:30 AM
Morning Stretch & Move Options

7:00–9:00 AM
Registration & Attendee Support Open

7:30–9:00 AM
Coffee in Exhibit Hall

9:00–10:00 AM
Opening and Practice Plenary Session

10:00–10:30 AM
Break and Transition to Sessions

10:30–11:30 AM
Sessions Block 1

11:30 AM–1:00 PM
Lunch on your own in the Exhibit Hall + Poster Showcase

1:00–2:00 PM
Sessions Block 2

2:00–2:30 PM
Break and Transition to Sessions

2:30–3:30 PM
Sessions Block 3

3:30–4 PM
Break and Transition to Plenary

4–5 PM
Research/Science Plenary

5–6:30 PM
ZERO TO THREE Community Networking Reception

Thursday, August 1
(Day 2)

7:00–7:30 AM
Morning Stretch & Move Options

7:00–9:00 AM
Registration & Attendee Support Open

7:30–9:00 AM
Coffee in Exhibit Hall

9:00–10:00 AM
Policy Plenary Session

10:00–10:30 AM
Break and Transition to Sessions

10:30–11:30 AM
Sessions Block 1

11:30 AM–1:00 PM
Lunch on your own in the Exhibit Hall + Poster Showcase

1:00–2:00 PM
Sessions Block 2

2:00–2:30 PM
Break and Transition to Sessions

2:30–3:30 PM
Sessions Block 3

3:30–4 PM
Break and Transition to Keynote

4–5 PM
Keynote

5 PM
Conference Adjourns

Are you serious about making a difference and growing your career? We have just the thing!

Our Pre-Conference Programming opportunities provide you with the time and space to roll up your sleeves, go a little deeper and take away impactful strategies you can immediately apply to your practice. Dive deeper, connect more, and enrich your professional journey with tailored sessions designed for early childhood professionals seeking advanced development opportunities.

Set the stage for your professional leap by joining us for an exclusive, in-person DC:0-5™: Clinical Training before the ZERO TO THREE LEARN Conference begins. DC:0-5™ Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood is a useful guide for evaluating and planning treatment for infants, young children, and their families in various settings. It builds on ZERO TO THREE’s rich legacy of using the most recent scientific findings and clinical research. With DC:0-5™ Clinical Training, you can now enhance your comprehension of this vital resource through our most comprehensive review of the manual, directly from the source.

Effective leadership involves self-awareness, adaptability and a keen understanding of the politics at play. In Power-Play, we’ll dive into play-based exercises and support you in leading with flexible leadership, helping you to lead from a place of dignity and grace.

Join Nat Vikitsreth, LCSW, DT, CEIM and a small group of peers to identify decision-making tendencies, recognize and build an understanding of equity-centered use of power in your practice, and cultivate belonging.

Reflective supervision and consultation (RS/C) in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) can create a more equitable world. However, current practices often reinforce systemic inequalities. An anti-oppressive approach is necessary, guided by the Diversity-Informed Tenets for Work with Infants, Children, and Families and principles of antiracism, racial equity and decolonization.

Join Carmen Rosa Noroña, LICSW, MSEd, IECMH-E®, and Nucha Isarowong, PhD, LICSW, IMH-E® in evolving conventional approaches to RS/C practice. Together, we will celebrate our differences and treat every infant, caregiver and colleague with dignity and respect.

Special Screening and Panel Discussion: Black Boys

The highly acclaimed documentary Black Boys, illuminates the full spectrum of Black male humanity in America through an intimate, intergenerational conversation at the intersection of education, sports and criminal justice. The film elevates an urgent and timely reckoning on identity, opportunity and equity to reimagine success for Black males in America while also touching on their vulnerability and resilience in the face of dehumanization.

A special screening of the film will be held during ZERO TO THREE’s LEARN Conference at the Long Beach Convention Center Theatre on Tuesday, July 30 at 4:30 pm PT. Following the screening, a moderated panel discussion will feature individuals closely connected to the documentary and the work of lifting up Black boys and men. This event is free for all LEARN Conference attendees. Learn more here.

To Register for a Forum:
Complete your LEARN Conference Registration and add your selected Forum on Page 2 of the Registration Form.

Connect with wonderful people.

Nothing allows for our growth as much as leaving our day-to-day to engage in fulfilling conversations. Whether you are an administrator, teacher, clinician, adult educator, researcher or involved in shaping policy and programs, our early childhood conference invites you to join in on these important conversations about the work you do and the critical role you play—now and in the future—to build a global, diverse and inclusive community where people connect and empower each other.

ZERO TO THREE LEARN Conference Venue

Book your stay.

Reserve your hotel room with exclusive access to low rates, available for a limited time.

Hurry, as rooms fill up quickly. Special rates, for ZERO TO THREE LEARN Conference attendees only, are available on a first come, first serve basis. All LEARN Conference partnered hotels are within one-mile of the Long Beach Convention Center.

Courtyard Long Beach Downtown

(0.4 miles/8-minute walk to the Convention Center)

Courtyard Long Beach Downtown

Address: 500 East First Street
Long Beach, CA 90802

Rate: $259/night

Book Now

Marriott Long Beach Downtown

(0.2 miles/5-minute walk to the Convention Center)

Marriott Long Beach Downtown

Address: 111 East Ocean Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90802

Rate: $269/night

Book Now

LEARN Conference partnered hotel rooms are full or filling up fast, though availability may open up periodically. These other local options may also have availability, but please note they are not official LEARN Conference partnered hotels so rates may vary

Hilton Long Beach

(3-minute drive to the Convention Center)

Hilton Long Beach

Address: 701 W Ocean Blvd
Long Beach, CA 90831

Book Now

Hyatt Centric The Pike Long Beach

(2-minute drive to the Convention Center)

Hyatt Centric The Pike Long Beach

Address: 285 Bay St
Long Beach, CA 90802

Book Now

The Queen Mary

(4-minute drive / 35 minute walk to the Convention Center)

The Queen Mary

Address: 1126 Queens Highway
Long Beach, CA 90802

Book Now

Inn at 50 Long Beach Convention Center

(3-minute drive / 14 minute walk to the Convention Center)

Inn at 50 Long Beach Convention Center

Address: 50 Atlantic Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90802

Book Now

Historic Broadlind Hotel

(3-minute drive / 14 minute walk to the Convention Center)

Historic Broadlind Hotel

Address: 149 Linden Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90802

Book Now

Residence Inn Long Beach Downtown

(5-minute drive / 22 minute walk to the Convention Center)

Residence Inn Long Beach Downtown

Address: 600 Queensway Drive
Long Beach, CA 90802

Book Now

The Hotel Maya

(5-minute drive / 21 minute walk to the Convention Center)

The Hotel Maya

Address: 700 Queensway Drive
Long Beach, CA 90802

Book Now

Announcements

Want to become a sponsor?

Partnering with the LEARN Conference gives you and your brand an opportunity to expand your reach and connect with early childhood professionals from all disciplines as they learn, network and shop for solutions to help them in their professional lives.

DOWNLOAD THE PROSPECTUS

Need approval from your boss?

So! You’d love to come to LEARN Conference. And we’d love to host you. There’s just one thing left to do: Convince your boss! Get your 'yes' by downloading our Justification Letter and show them that LEARN Conference 2024 is a worthwhile investment for your organization, and most importantly, your own personal development.

GET THE LETTER

Covering the latest in early childhood mental health. education. welfare. intervention. research.

With sincerest thanks to the valued members of the LEARN Conference 2024 Host Committee

Michael Olenick, Chair
Child Care Resource Center
Los Angeles

Mayra Alvarez
The Children’s Partnership
Los Angeles 

Laura Andrade
LA County DCFS Young Children in Care Initiative
Los Angeles 

Ginger “Virginia” Bial Cox
Chadwick Center for Children and Families, Rady’s Children’s Hospital San Diego
San Diego 

Parker Blackman
Los Angeles Partnership for Early Childhood Investment/Funder Collaborative
Los Angeles

Joanna Campos
Department of Health & Human Services
Long Beach 

Lauri Halderman
CASA of Los Angeles
Los Angeles 

Pradeep Gidwani
San Diego American Academy of Pediatrics
San Diego 

Meghan Korey Lukasik
Rady Children’s Hospital
San Diego 

Stacy Hae Lim Lee
Children Now
Oakland 

Monica Mathur-Kalluri
WestEd

Christina Nigrelli
ZERO TO THREE
Long Beach   

Mike Sherman
ZERO TO THREE
Los Angeles 

Gene Stein
Tikun Olam Foundation
Los Angeles 

Jackie Thu-Huong Wong
First 5 California
Sacramento 

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Related Resources

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Earn CEUs from ZERO TO THREE

ZERO TO THREE is pleased to offer free Continuing Education Units for a variety of learning events and early childhood professional development.

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Upcoming Events with ZERO TO THREE

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LEARN: Early Childhood Professional Development

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