On Saturday, 12 October, over 400 attendees from across Australia’s ECEC sector united in Darwin for a day filled with incredible insights and thought-provoking speakers.
The day commenced with the Chief Executive for the Department of Education and Training, Susan Bowden opening the conference and inspiring us with her words and presence.
CEO Tina Holtom: “Reflecting on the incredible success of the ‘Little People, Big Dreams’ conference fills me with immense pride and gratitude. Together, we embarked on a journey of empowerment, inspiration, and transformative change. The conference was not merely an event; it was a testament to our collective dedication to nurturing the potential within every child. Witnessing the passion, knowledge sharing, and collaborative spirit among delegates reaffirmed our shared commitment to shaping a brighter future for our children. Our journey continues as we carry the spirit of this conference forward, transforming dreams into reality, one little step at a time.”
Delegate Feedback
Delegates mentioned the conference supported and motivated them in the following ways:
“Listening to the speakers and being able to understand the progress as well as the new initiatives that are in the pipeline. I enjoyed learning new skills and strategies, I look forward to implement them and support families.”
“The conference shared ideas about helping children grow through creativity, emotions and inclusion. It gave useful tips for child-led learning. There were also opportunities for educators to connect and share ideas. And I think this gives me a broader understanding about children.”
“All the topics discussed were really helpful and provided new insights and perspectives. The most relatable one was the session about Stress management and wellbeing. Especially working in a high demanding sector like childcare.”
The Conference Program
The conference program kicked off with an engaging expert-led keynote panel, “Reimagining the Early Years: Unravelling the Productivity Commission’s Recommendations,” featuring Professor Deborah Brennan, Susan Bowden, Sarah Rheinberger and Dr. Georgie Nutton.
The session was thought-provoking, delivered fresh insights and diverse perspectives. It provided a deeper understanding of the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector at both national and state level.
One of the delegates mentioned: “Learning about the productivity commission and the process of the report was interesting. I enjoyed the first panel, as it was good to get information about what is happening in the industry.”
After the inspiring first keynote, we celebrated the conference’s tenth year anniversary with a cake and classic Happy Birthday song.
After morning tea, Katey De Gioa, Rachel Elphick and Kathryn Martin-Anderson from Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) discussed “Culturally Responsive Assessment for Learning: Engaging deeply and honestly in conversation with self and others to improve children’s learning and development”. During their discussion, they explored early childhood learning trajectories and the new EYLF V2.0. Asking the delegates what can they change right now, today?
Feedback on AERO included: “The keynote speakers were all amazing. Loved AERO’s sessions about reflexivity and the Aboriginal learning framework completed by inspired education & Tangentyere Council.”
As a third keynote, Jennifer Jefferies led an inspiring discussion on “Decompressing Stress” and how to break the stress loop to enhance mental health and promote personal growth. She addressed the ongoing cycle of stress and offered strategies to combat it with minimal effort. Jennifer emphasized the importance of taking time to rest and breathe.
Feedback on Jennifer included: “I found Jennifer Jeffries refreshing, authentic and encouraging with small portions of strategies to make a difference with the stress in our days.” One delegate said: Jennifer Jeffries was my highlight – her enthusiasm and motivational talk about decompressing stress and all of her suggested strategies.”
“The highlight of the LPBD Conference for me was Jennifer Jefferies’ keynote on Decompressing Stress. Her engaging presentation on such a relevant and helpful topic was exactly what we all needed.”
“I personally had a blast with Jennifer Jefferies, the wellbeing keynote 3. She made me laugh and helped me to really have a better understanding about myself.”
The breakout sessions were kept in high regard, featuring many fabulous speakers. Delegates mentioned Nicole Talarico, who discussed “Fusing the empathy gap in early childhood to combat family violence”.
Her session was a highlight of the day: “Nicole Talarico – amazingly honest and truthful presentation – we have to teach from birth to break the cycle – I agree!” and “My highlight was Nicole’s session, particularly about the family violence session.”
Others highlighted were Sarah Forgan and Jacinta McInnerney:
“Sarah Fogan was amazing I loved how fun and interactive it was”
“Jacinta with the play schema presentation was my favourite”
“The highlight of the conference was Jefferies keynote and the breakout sessions with Sarah and Jacinta”
Other highlighted speakers were Sasha Beirne and Connie Borg from Child Australia.
The feedback stated: “I also really enjoyed Sasha and Connie’s session about creating trauma informed spaces. Specifically, thinking about children and families who are affected by trauma and making sure we are keeping them in mind when setting up our spaces.”
The day was jam-packed to ensure there was something for everyone.
Another delegates highlights of the conference were: “Listening to Nicole Talarico, Sasha Beirne, Connie Borg, Nancy Jeffrey, Rosie Schellen and especially Jennifer Jefferies!”
“All of the great speakers, enjoyed everything. Nancy Jeffery’s session was great.”
A Massive Thank You!
The vibe and energy from everyone who attended during the LPBD 2024 conference was fantastic and as one of the delegates said in her feedback:
“The speakers were all passionate & knowledgeable about their fields. Very engaging. Everything was spot on for my first LPBD conference.”
We extend our biggest thanks to our major partner, the @Northern Territory Government, and all our sponsors: Berry Street, HESTA, Territory Childcare Group, The Sector, Goodstart, Twinkl and Connectix.
The exhibitors, who sparked in our Marketplace and provided delegates with new resources, tools and ideas were: Modern Teaching Aids, 1Place, Be You: Early Childhood Australia, Berry Street, Catholic Education NT, Early Childhood Australia NT, Awe & Wonder, Expect a Star, Mile End Office Furniture, TCCG, The Y Northern Territory, Xplor, Hippy Australia, Australian Early Research Organisation, Inspired EC, and ANZUK.
We are not the only ones who are thankful to our sponsors and exhibitors, as one of the delegates mentioned: “I love checking out The Marketplace for new resources and of course, the many freebies and giveaways.”
…and not to forget a big shout out to our dedicated staff for making this day possible!
If you couldn’t join us this time, we will be back next year! If you are located in WA, the Early Childhood Learning & Development Conference is returning to Optus Stadium in March 2025.
