The Summer Institute
WE ARE STRONGER & LOUDER TOGETHER
Our annual event brings together early childhood educators and advocates from across the country to develop a thoughtful and dynamic grassroots advocacy platform and action steps that support the whole child, respects child development, and recognizes the importance of play so that all children may experience a just, equitable, and quality education and future. Our community comes together to learn from each other, share what is working and build stronger platforms.
Past Institutes
DEY 7th Annual Summer Institute
June 23-25, 2025
Equity, Truth, & Care: Applying Early Childhood Values to Global Challenges
This Summer Institute explores how the core values of our field can guide us in preparing for an unpredictable future. In times of uncertainty, our commitment to ensuring a just and equitable early childhood for all children must remain steadfast. When the future threatens to reshape our world, our shared values can ground us in what all children fundamentally need and deserve. We invite you to join us as we explore how a commitment to values of Equity, Truth, and Care can support our efforts to resist threats of domination, control, power, racism, white supremacy, climate disaster, and environmental terrorism. Now more than ever, we must double down on what we know constitutes high-quality early childhood education care.
DEY 6th Annual Summer Institute
June 24-26, 2024
Advancing Quality in Defense of Early Childhood Education and Care
What does quality mean to you? How do you demonstrate quality in your program or classroom? How can the systems used to measure quality be improved? What does high quality mean in relation to justice and equity for disadvantaged and marginalized children? The 2024 Sixth Annual DEY Summer Institute addressed these questions and many more. Check out the recordings, resources, and reflective workbook.
DEY’s 5th Annual Summer Institute
What Works: Learning from Early Childhood Educators, Advocates, and Researchers
We acknowledged the people, actions, and practices that get us closer to ensuring all children have a just and equitable early childhood education. We recognize the challenges and will continue strategizing on how best to overcome them, but after five years, we believe it’s time to focus on the solutions. How are educators engaging in best practices to support young children? What wins have advocates made to improve systems of early care and education? How can the latest research have a positive impact on our practices? If you missed any of the institute we invite you to watch the recordings.
DEY’s 4th Annual Summer Institute
JUNE 27 – 29, 2022
Early Childhood in These Times: Equity, Policy, and Practice
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We convened a group of scholars, practitioners, and researchers to discuss strategies to ensure all children have a just and equitable childhood.
2021 Summer Institute
June 28-30, 2021
Where we had three days of theoretical, practical, and inspirational discussions with some of the leading voices in early childhood education and early childhood advocacy.
2020 Summer Institute
July 21-24, 2020
For our 2020 virtual Summer Institute; a gathering of educators, parents, researchers and activists to advance ECE priorities. We hosted four panel discussions with speakers such as Diane Ravitch, Michelle Gunderson, Josh Golin of the now Fair Play for Kids, Takiema Bunche Smith, Erika Christakis, Peter Gray, Keisha Reid and so many more.
2019 Summer Institute
July 7-10, 2019
DEY’S first early childhood summer organizing leadership institute — a huge success!