April 13, 2026

Celebrate NAEYC's 2026 Week of the Young Child

Each April, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) invites educators, families and communities to honor early learning, young children and the adults who support them.

This year's Week of the Young Child is April 11-17.

This is also a valuable opportunity to raise awareness of the issues affecting young children and their families.

Visit the following organizations for related resources and ideas on how to celebrate:

NAEYC

Visit NAEYC’s website for daily themes, activities and resources.

NeAEYC

The NeAEYC website provides suggestions on spreading the word about the Week of the Young Child, as well as suggested activities. Nebraska AEYC is an affiliate of NAEYC.

NAIMH

The Nebraska Association for Infant Mental Health is offering a number of free training opportunities free during the Week of the Young Child.

Nebraska Extension

Nebraska Extension’s Early Childhood team provides a range of guides, resources and training information for early childhood professionals and families.

Nebraska Department of Education seeks evaluator for Early Childhood Education Endowment

The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) seeks a qualified external evaluator to assess the implementation and outcomes of the Early Childhood Education Endowment.

Through the endowment, Sixpence provides funds and technical guidance to high-quality early childhood programs that address the unique needs of children from the prenatal period to age 3, focusing particularly on services for pre-born children, infants and toddlers who are most likely to encounter challenges to their healthy physical, cognitive and social development, putting them at risk of struggling in school and life.

The evaluation will measure program quality as well as child and family outcomes for Sixpence programs across more than 40 school districts in Nebraska. The evaluator will partner with the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, as the Sixpence provider, to ensure successful data collection, monitor program implementation, conduct data analysis and develop annual evaluation reports. 

Deadline: April 29, 2 p.m. CDT

Learn more.

Baby's First Years study seeking research assistants

The Baby's First Years study team is seeking several full-time Research Assistants to collect data from 8-year-olds and their mothers during lab-based and home-based visits.

The Baby’s First Years study is a pathbreaking random-assignment study of the impact of monthly unconditional cash gifts to low-income mothers of infants during the first four years of their child’s life. The aim is to understand the causal effects of poverty reduction on early childhood development and family life.

Learn more.

Here are recent publications from NAECR researchers:

Intervention Fidelity: A Common Language for Clinicians and Researchers

Sandra Willett, Kinesiology, Colorado Mesa University

Andrea Cunha*, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Lin-Ya Hsu, Physical Therapy, University of Washington

Elena Brown, Occupational Therapy, Duquesne University

Regina Harbourne, Physical Therapy, Duquesne University

Stacey Dusing, Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy, University of Southern California

Do Psychological Flexibility and Interparental Mutually Responsive Orientation Reduce Postpartum Parenting Stress and Coparenting Difficulties?

Rachel Beck, Psychology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Lauren Laifer**, Psychology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Erin Ramsdell, Psychiatry, University of Michigan

Rebecca Brock*, Psychology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

 * Denotes NAECR Researcher

** Denotes NAECR Student Researcher

New! Spencer Foundation: Racial Equity Research Grants Program

The Racial Equity Research Grants program supports education research projects that will contribute to understanding and disrupting racial inequality in education and work to reimagine generative possibilities to advance educational equity.

Award budget: Up to $75,000

Letter of Intent due date: May 4, 2026

Learn more.

Spencer Foundation: Small Research Grants on Education

The Small Research Grants on Education Program supports rigorous, intellectually ambitious and technically sound research that is relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in education.

Award budget: Up to $50,000

Proposal due date: This Wednesday, April 15, 2026



Learn more.

Student funding: Buffett Early Childhood Institute Graduate Scholars

The goal of this program is to increase the skills of doctoral scholars conducting innovative research with implications for early childhood, with particular attention to children placed at risk as a consequence of economic, social, physical and environmental circumstances.

The program provides financial support for doctoral students admitted to candidacy in the University of Nebraska System.

Award budget: $25,000

Proposal due date: April 24, 2026 

Learn more.

New! Midwest Pyramid Model Summit

Call for Proposals

Nov. 18-19, 2026

Coralville, Iowa

The Midwest Pyramid Model Summit explores the integration of the Pyramid Model framework at a systems level across various early childhood sectors.

Aimed at advancing high-impact, sustainable implementation strategies, the event focuses on how the Pyramid Model — an evidence-based approach to promoting social and emotional development and positive behavior — can be effectively adapted and scaled in early childhood settings. 

Proposal due date: May 15, 2026

Learn more.

Nebraska Young Childhood Institute 2026

Call for Proposals

June 16-17, 2026

Kearney, Nebraska

Registration is now open for NYCI 2026. This conference will bring together professionals from across early childhood, health, education, courts, and community systems to explore this year’s theme, "Building for the Future," and to spark ideas that strengthen outcomes for children and families across Nebraska.

Proposal due date: Monday, April 20, 2026

Learn more.

2026 Families Learning Conference

Call for Proposals

Nov. 8-11, 2026

San Antonio, Texas

The National Center for Families Learning’s annual conference brings together educators, researchers, policymakers and community leaders to explore best practices and innovations in supporting students and families in achieving their learning goals.

They are seeking proposals that reflect highly interactive and engaging presentations that include strategies and/or materials that attendees can use right away in their work with families.

Proposal due date: Monday, April 20, 2026

Learn more.

Thriving Children, Families and Communities Conference

Call for Proposals

Sept. 22, 2026

Kearney, Nebraska

Join partners from across Nebraska for a full day of connection, collaboration and problem-solving focused on Nebraska’s most pressing early childhood challenges. New this year, conference organizers have issued a call for speakers.

If you or someone in your community has experience, innovative approaches, or working models that would be valuable to share with Nebraskans, they encourage you to submit proposal.

Learn more.

Region VII Head Start Association Leadership Caucus

Call for Proposals

Oct. 20-22, 2026

Overland Park, Kansas

Region VII Head Start Association is seeking presenters for the Annual Fall Leadership Caucus. Proposals should be focused on the professional development needs of Head Start/Early Head Start staff to ensure they are provided the tools and resources needed to be successful in their positions.

Caucus attendees will include Head Start & Early Head Start program executive directors, program directors, senior level managers, center site managers, parent leadership, front line staff, specialists and community partners.

Proposal due date: May 22, 2026

Learn more.

2026 CYFS Early Childhood Summit

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

8 a.m. – 5 p.m. CDT

Nebraska Innovation Campus

The 2026 Early Childhood Research Summit is Tuesday, April 28, at Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln, Nebraska. 

The summit's keynote speaker is Ying Xu, assistant professor of AI in the Department of Learning and Education and Harvard University. She will examine the role and impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on children’s cognitive and social development, and will also consider open questions about whether generative AI tools shape children’s curiosity, creativity and critical thinking.

Summit breakout sessions will cover topics such as early childhood workforce, nutrition and physical development, literacy/reading, social and emotional development, communication and more.

2025-26 Methodology Application Series

Featuring Pavel Chernyavskiy

Friday, April 24, 2026

10 – 11:30 a.m. CDT

Nebraska Union, Chimney Rock Room

The Nebraska Academy for Methodology, Analytics and Psychometrics invites you to the first presentation of the 2025-26 Methodology Applications Series.

Please join us Friday, April 24, when Pavel Chernyavskiy, assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Virginia, leads a presentation titled, "Everything is Important and Everything is Correlated: Challenges and Opportunities of Working in Correlated Data."

This presentation will cover several projects rooted in education and public health that feature correlated data, the methodological hurdles and triumphs therein. It will also discuss some opportunities to extend existing models, such as areal indices (e.g. ADI, COI) using spatial models; educational assessment data using Item Response Models; and displayed effect from automatic facial coding software. 

The event is free and open to the public.

Learn more.

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families & Schools

College of Education and Human Sciences

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