The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.
– Coretta Scott King

Planning to be in Orlando for the NAEYC Conference this year? We’d love for you to stop by our Dimensions Nature Explore/Exchange booth and say “hi” and discover interesting new information and opportunities.

We also hope to see you at our session by Dimensions Education Specialists, Heather Fox and Kirsten Haugen, for their presentation, “Made in the Shade: How Sun and Heat Impact Children’s Play and Learning and What You Can Do About It” on Thursday, November 20, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM in Room W308D.

And here’s a list of presentations shared by people in our Dimensions (Nature Explore/Exchange) community.

Tuesday November 18

November 18, 2025, 08:00 AM
Before Conference Day: Focused on Policy and Handbooks
Presenter: Austin Nikolich

Wednesday November 19 

November 19, 2025, 08:30 AM
Music Learning Supports All Learning! Music and Movement Activities That Naturally Support Children’s Development in Key Early Learning Domains
Presenter: Lauren Guilmartin

November 19, 2025, 08:30 AM
Workshop Your Book Ideas From Inspiration to Completion: Where to Take Them, How to Start, How to Finish, and How to See Them Come to Life Through Publication, Consulting, and Presenting
Presenters: Karen N. Nemeth, Christina Cassano, Pamela Brillante, and Robert Gundling

November 19, 2025, 08:30 AM
A Child-Centered Approach to Fostering Inclusive STEM Experiences
Presenters: Megan Vinh, Douglas Clements, Julie Sarama, and Chih-Ing Lim

November 19, 2025, 11:00 AM
Choosing Courage as Stakes Get Higher: Tool Kit for Equity, Inclusion, Diversity, and Belonging
Presenters: Holly Elissa Bruno and Holly Hickson

November 19, 2025, 11:00 AM
Designing Infant Rooms that Encourage Autonomy, Exploration, and Discovery: Moving from Bunching Up Babies to Tiny Destinations
Presenters: Rebecca Berlin, Sandra Duncan, and Jennifer Kesselring

November 19, 2025, 11:00 AM
Joyfully Training Adult Learners: Take It to the Next Level
Presenters: Teresa A. Byington, Geraldine Wynn, and Charmika Hansen

November 19, 2025, 11:00 AM
Leading with Heart: An Overview of Emotional Leadership
Presenter: Jill Bell

November 19, 2025, 11:00 AM
Nurturing Neurodiversity: Using Creative Strategies to Support Engagement and Development
Presenter: Sarah Taylor Vanover

November 19, 2025, 12:00 PM
Support for Early Childhood Teacher Educators: The NAEYC History Seminar
Presenters: Blythe Hinitz, Dr. Judith Mikkelson, and Dr. Miranda Lin

Thursday November 20 

November 20, 2025, 08:00 AM
Where Is the Learning? Identifying Potential Learning to Support and Advocate for Play
Presenter: Heather Bernt-Santy

November 20, 2025, 08:00 AM
How a Large Urban School District Is Creating and Sustaining Outdoor Classrooms That Support Whole-Child Development
Presenter: Ranae Amezquita

November 20, 2025, 08:00 AM
Reducing the Childcare Desert Through Legislative Change
Presenter: Jennifer Legere

November 20, 2025, 08:00 AM
Find the Joyful Leader Within: Radiate a Joyful Outlook
Presenters: Teresa A. Byington, Rebecca Vizina, and Desiree Cabacar

November 20, 2025, 08:00 AM
Revisiting Journeys: Embark on a Captivating Adventure of Connection, Wonder, and Discovery Alongside Young Children
Presenters: Miriam Beloglovsky and Jessie Frazier

November 20, 2025, 10:00 AM
No Single Story: Amplifying the Voices of Asian American and Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Early Educators to Create Inclusive and Equitable Communities of Care for All Children and Families
Presenter: Debbie LeeKeenan

November 20, 2025, 10:00 AM
“Don’t Post That!”: Understanding the Risks of Sharing Children’s Images Online and Safe Practices
Presenter: Kimberly King

November 20, 2025, 10:00 AM
Cultivating Calm: Self-Regulation Strategies to Support Children with Big Emotions and Challenging Behaviors
Presenter: Julie Tourigny

November 20, 2025, 11:45 AM
Rural Children and Families Interest Forum
Presenters: Cathy Grace and Kenya Wolff

November 20, 2025, 01:00 PM
Taking Care of Our Early Educators: Building Spaces for Success
Presenter: Iris Ponte

November 20, 2025, 01:00 PM
Deconstructive Play: A Messy Journey of Exploration
Presenter: Carla Gull

November 20, 2025, 01:00 PM
Defining Inclusion and Its Essential Components in 2025
Presenters: Megan Vinh, Peggy Kemp, and Mary Harrill

November 20, 2025, 01:00 PM
Defining Neurodivergence
Presenter: Sarah Taylor Vanover

November 20, 2025, 01:00 PM
Inspiring a Lifetime of Reading: Create a Parenting Podcast about the Joy of Books and Reading
Presenters: Rachel Robertson and Claire Goss

November 20, 2025, 01:00 PM
Our Sankofa Moment: Together We Will Advance Educational Equity for Young Children
Presenters: Tonia Durden, Kelly Ramsey, Brian Johnson, Ann Terrell, Raquel Diaz, Camille Mendez, and Erica Colón

November 20, 2025, 01:00 PM
Self-Regulation and Music: Tuning in to the Power of Music to Support the Most Challenging Behaviors
Presenter: Mary Anderson

Thursday, November 20, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Made in the Shade: How Sun and Heat Impact Children’s Play and Learning and What You Can Do About It
Presenters: Heather Fox and Kirsten Haugen

November 20, 2025, 3:00 PM
Storytelling for Action: How NAEYC Elevates Your Voice and an Exciting New Media Initiative to Showcase the Power of Early Educators
Presenter: Kathy Pomer

November 20, 2025, 3:00 PM
You Can Do This: Face Impossible Roadblocks, Triumph by Being True to Your Best Self, and Emerge with Deeper Compassion for Yourself and Others
Presenter: Holly Elissa Bruno

November 20, 2025, 3:00 PM
Celebrating NAEYC: Member Stories That Inform the Future
Presenter: Blythe Hinitz, Judith Mikkelson, Miranda Lin, Donna Wright, Charlotte Hern, Ed Greene, Jean Simpson, & Jerry Aldridge

November 20, 2025, 3:00 PM
Designing for Growth: Cultivating Playful Possibilities Outdoors
Presenters: Rebecca Berlin and Lukas Ritson

November 20, 2025, 3:00 PM
Discipline Versus Punishment: How to Address Challenging Behaviors While Promoting Growth and Development
Presenter: Thomasa Bond

November 20, 2025, 3:00 PM
Culture of Color: Shifting Our Mindset About Designing Young Children’s Environments
Presenters: Sandra Duncan, Zlata Stanković-Ramirez, and DJ Alexander

November 20, 2025, 3:00 PM
Moving Programs Forward: Aligning Pedagogical Leadership with Developmentally Appropriate Practice Using the Whole Leadership Framework
Presenters: Marie Masterson, Jill Bella, and Teri Talan 

Friday November 21

November 21, 2025, 08:00 AM
Everyone Finds a Place When Nature Is Introduced
Presenter: Dean Tagawa

November 21, 2025, 08:00 AM
Building Body Safety Education into Early Childhood Classrooms
Presenter: Kimberly King

November 21, 2025, 08:00 AM
Creative, Expressive, and Relational: Developing Culturally Supportive Visual Arts Experiences
Presenter: Angela Eckhoff

November 21, 2025, 08:00 AM
When There Is Chaos at Small Group, Large Group, and Story Time, It’s Time to Push Past It !A Guide to Dealing with Intense Challenging Behaviors During Adult-Directed Activities
Presenter: Angela Searcy

November 21, 2025, 08:00 AM
From Read-Alouds to Rich Math Tasks: Using Children’s Literature to Problem Solve and Develop Language Comprehension
Presenters: Kateri Thunder and Alisha Demchak

November 21, 2025, 10:00 AM
Navigating Early Childhood Media Use With the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 5 Cs Framework and Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Presenter: Alissa Mwenelupembe

November 21, 2025, 10:00 AM
Empowering Inclusion: Job-Embedded Professional Development for Supporting Emerging Bilingual and Multilingual Children: Strategies for Coaches, Consultants, and Leadership Teams
Presenter: Karen Nemeth

November 21, 2025, 10:00 AM
Designing Nature-Inspired Learning Environments for Young Children
Presenters: Christine Burkholder, Christopher Sickels, Emma Duffy, and Derek Burkholder

November 21, 2025, 10:00 AM
Diseño Empático e Inclusivo: Espacios de Juego y Aprendizaje
Presenter: Miriam Beloglovsky

November 21, 2025, 10:00 AM
Empowering Inclusion: Job-Embedded Professional Development for Supporting Emerging Bilingual and Multilingual Children: Strategies for Coaches, Consultants, and Leadership Teams
Presenters: Karen N. Nemeth, Christina Cassano, Emily Maring, and Karin De La Paz

November 21, 2025, 10:00 AM
Overcoming Early Childhood Education Workforce Barriers: Creating Equitable Career Pathways Through Effective Partnerships with Career and Technical Education and Registered Apprenticeships
Presenters: Marie Masterson and Bisa Lewis

November 21, 2025, 11:45 AM
Early Childhood Consultants and Authors Interest Forum
Presenters: Marie Masterson and Bisa Lewis

November 21, 2025, 12:00 PM
Meet the Candidates
Presenter: Jamie Cho

November 21, 2025, 01:00 PM
The Mind and the Heart 101: Understanding the Journey From Neurons to Nerves to Regulation
Presenter: Richard Cohen

November 21, 2025, 01:00 PM
Early Intervention Approaches for Infants and Toddlers with Prenatal Drug Exposure
Presenter: Christy Isbell

November 21, 2025, 01:00 PM
Noticing Nature: Inspiring Wonder and Awe Among Our Youngest and the Professionals Who Care for Them
Presenters: Laura Wilhelm, Carla Gull, Alice Sharp, and Joe Rackley

November 21, 2025, 01:00 PM
What Does It Take to Implement a High-Quality Curriculum? The “Both and” of Play and Content Learning in Preschool and Kindergarten
Presenters: Rachel Robertson, Susan Friedman, Priscilla M. Hopkins, Eric Love, Heather Hopper, and Pam Payne

November 21, 2025, 01:00 PM
Working with Challenging Behaviors: What to Do When Nothing Else Works!
Presenter: William DeMeo

November 21, 2025, 3:00 PM
Classroom Redesign: How One Community Came Together to Transform a University Model Classroom
Presenters: Nancy Alexander and Faith Birdwell

November 21, 2025, 3:00 PM
Supporting Instructors to Embed Inclusive STEM Content in Higher Education
Presenters: Megan Vinh, Jessica Amsbary, and Chih-Ing Lim

Saturday November 21

November 22, 2025, 08:00 AM
Leveraging Technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Early Childhood Education: Practical Strategies for Transforming Practices in the 21st Century
Presenter: Mary Sciaraffa

November 22, 2025, 09:30 AM
Trees, Bugs, and Brains: How Nature Experiences Affect Young Children’s Development
Presenters: Lora Taylor and Judy Helm

November 22, 2025, 09:30 AM
Seeing the Science and Engineering in Children’s Play: Using Video Examples to Identify and Support the Science and Engineering Practices Children Naturally Engage with in Their Play
Presenters: Rachel A. Larimore and Alison Miller

November 22, 2025, 11:00 AM
Preparing for Retirement in an Intentional and Effective Way
Presenter: Amy Kay Powell

We urge you to support each other’s presentations!