Name: (Hybrid) Community Inclusion Teams in Early Childhood: Innovation to Implementation
Start: 2026-05-20T12:45:00-0400
End: 2026-05-20T13:45:00-0400

(Hybrid) Community Inclusion Teams in Early Childhood: Innovation to Implementation

Wednesday May 20, 2026 12:45pm - 1:45pm EDT

Dogwood

Feedback Survey

Presenters will share stories from a variety of communities that have used the ECTA Community Indicators to leverage local partnerships to support children based on family strengths and needs. During this time, participants will 1) explore examples of challenges solved at the local level through intentional community partnerships, 2) reflect on potential partnerships in their own communities, and 3) consider both opportunities and challenges for building impactful community partnerships in their local context. Questions for reflection and conversation during this part of the session will include:

What can we learn from intentionally constructed community partnerships to improve outcomes for children and families within the community?
How have community partners efficiently used family voice to improve opportunities for young children?
What has been the impact of community partnerships on children, families, educators, and leaders?
How could strategies be adapted for your local community?

Speakers

Ben Riepe

Senior Project Manager, University of Denver

Ben Riepe, MA, is a Senior Project Manager for the Marsico Institute for Early Learning at the University of Denver. He has dedicated the last 25 years to supporting young children in inclusive settings. As a Head Start teacher, coach, and trainer, he supported high-fidelity program-wide... Read More →

Melissa Griffin

Technical Assistance Coordinator, SC Partnerships for Inclusion

Melissa Griffin is the Technical Assistance Coordinator for South Carolina Partnerships for Inclusion (SCPI). In this role, she leads the implementation of a tiered framework of supports for early childhood specialists and oversees service delivery for districts partnering with SCPI to strengthen early c... Read More →

Dana Bennett

Technical Assistant Specialist, SC Partnerships for Inclusion

Dana Bennett holds a Master's Degree in Education and has 18 years of teaching experience in both special education and 4K classrooms within the public school system. She has also served as a family childcare teacher and an Inclusion Specialist. For the past four years, Dana has worked as a... Read More →

FPG 2026 Community Inclusion Teams U pdf

Wednesday May 20, 2026 12:45pm - 1:45pm EDT
Dogwood

Concurrent, Community and local level