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Moreton Bay Early Learning Conference a strong example of bringing sectors together
Freya Lucas
Jan 31, 2025
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As planning for the 2025 Moreton Bay Early Learning Conference gets underway, the team at Sesame Lane have shared a reflection on last year’s event which was held in October.
Last year’s Moreton Bay Early Learning Conference was born out of a shared vision among early childhood education (ECE) sector leaders and professionals in response to a recognised need for significant professional development tailored specifically for early childhood educators in Queensland’s Moreton Bay Region.The intention of the conference was to empower early childhood educators with the knowledge, skills, and inspiration they need to provide the highest quality education and care, believing that professional growth leads to personal growth, which in turn impacts the children in their care.
The conference program featured keynote speakers, workshops, seminars, networking opportunities and an exhibitor showcase.
Ticket costs were kept as low as practicable to allow easier access for educators, with local early learning provider Sesame Lane sponsoring the event, and the University of the Sunshine Coast collaborating to link research with practical applications for working in ECE.
“Through working collaboratively in professional groups we were hearing from a variety of sector members that early childhood conferences were often too expensive, not held in convenient locations, or were priced at a point where whole staff teams couldn’t attend,” Kerri Smith, Head of Sesame Lane said.
“With these messages heard loud and clear, along with feedback about Sesame Lane's staff only conferences missing a broader networking opportunity, a working group from Sesame Lane came together to shape a conference to solve some of these issues as Platinum sponsor,” Ms Smith explained.
“By working with the University in a gold sponsor capacity, a venue that was state of the art, but conducive to a learning experience was offered, along with the contribution of keynote speakers. A silver sponsorship with MTA added additional professional development sessions to the agenda.”
Feedback from delegates was overwhelmingly positive, with a strong message that the content really helped with areas that they require in their practice now and delivered by people who really understand what’s happening. The conference will run again, with Ms Smith saying “we are currently in discussion with the University again to organise a timeframe to deliver the event, as well as gathering ideas and thoughts of what content our sector representatives are excited to share again. Our goal for the next conference is to include a leadership element to the event.”
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