The Utah State Board of Education’s (USBE) 2024 Utah Preschool Conference (UPC), held on October 25 and 26 at the Utah State Capitol Building, was a resounding success! The event, with the theme, “Cultivating Connections: Strengthening Collaboration for Preschool Professionals,” brought together almost 300 preschool professionals across Utah’s mixed-delivery system from the public and private sectors. The hybrid format via UETN Zoom Events allowed in-person and virtual participation, ensuring broad accessibility and engagement. In light of the success of last year’s event, a one-day conference that drew over 150 participants, USBE expanded the event to a two-day format that saw an 82 percent increase in attendance over last year’s conference.
The conference featured keynote panel sessions that sparked discussions on high-quality preschool education. Onthe first day, the “State of Preschool in Utah” keynote session featured a panel discussion followed by an audience Q&A. Special guest speakers included: Utah Governor’s Office Senior Advisor of Education, Rich Nye; State Senator Kathleen Riebe; Representative Ashlee Matthews; USBE’s Board Vice Chair, Molly Hart; and USBE Board Member, LeAnn Wood.
On the second day, GatherRound President and CEO Kathy Pomer led the keynote discussion on “The Power of Storytelling in Early Care and Education” alongside a panel of local preschool administrators and parents. In addition to these sessions, attendees had the opportunity to participate in a wide range of professional learning sessions, each providing valuable training and resources.
“The 2024 Utah Preschool Conference was a gathering that reinforced the importance of collaboration across all sectors of early childhood education. By bringing together nearly 300 professionals from public and private preschool settings, this event demonstrated the power of community in shaping a bright future for Utah’s young students. I’m excited to see these connections continue to strengthen USBE’s efforts to provide quality education for every student in this state,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson.
USBE invites the public to access the 2024 UPC session recordings to learn more about high-quality preschool education in Utah.
