2026 Texas Rising Star Summer Symposium Draws More Than 300 Early Childhood Professionals
Jul 22, 2026
Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas
On June 6, 2026, Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas and Texas Rising Star proudly hosted the 2026 Summer Symposium at the Pitser Garrison Convention Center in Lufkin. Serving as this year's replacement for the annual Fall Conference, the event provided a full day of high-quality professional development, networking, and hands-on learning opportunities centered around best practices in early childhood education and implementation of the Frog Street Curriculum.
The Summer Symposium welcomed 323 child care professionals from across the 12 counties served by Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas, representing 56 of the region's 81 Texas Rising Star early learning facilities. The strong participation demonstrated the commitment of providers throughout Deep East Texas to continuous quality improvement and excellence in early childhood education.
The day began with registration and networking before attendees gathered for the keynote presentation, "The Neuroscience of Learning – What Works, What Lasts, and Why?" presented by Dr. Kenneth Wesson. The keynote explored how children learn and what educators can do to create learning experiences that have a lasting impact on child development.
Following the keynote, participants selected from a variety of specialized learning tracks designed to strengthen teaching practices, leadership skills, and curriculum implementation. Session topics included:
Building Brain Power in the Early Years
Creating a Positive Learning Environment
Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Preschoolers
Literacy/Numeracy Connections
Building Early Childhood Workplaces Where People Want to Stay
Building Early Literacy Skills
Developing Language and Communication Skills for Infants and Toddlers
Math for the Young Child
Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Infants and Toddlers
Using Our Bifocal Lens: Leading for Quality
Words, Words, Words: Strategies to Increase Vocabulary in Young Children
Making Center Time Intentional
Social-Emotional Development
Strategies for Engaging Read-Alouds with Infants and Toddlers
Strengthening Educator Practice Through Collaboration and Feedback.
A highlight of the event was the interactive Lunch & Learn session, "Don't Stop Believing... Leap Into Lilypad," where participants explored the Frog Street Lilypad Portal and learned how to access curriculum resources, instructional tools, and program supports available through the platform. Attendees were encouraged to bring their laptops to participate in this hands-on learning experience that provided practical guidance for integrating technology into curriculum implementation.
The symposium was developed in partnership with Frog Street and featured curriculum-focused professional development designed to deepen educators' understanding of research-based instructional practices. Sessions emphasized developmentally appropriate learning experiences, literacy and language development, social-emotional learning, intentional teaching strategies, and leadership practices that support quality improvement across early learning programs.
In addition to a full day of learning, attendees enjoyed lunch, networking opportunities with peers from across the region, vendor engagement, exciting door prizes, and classroom-ready make-and-take resources that could be immediately implemented in their programs. The event concluded with closing remarks and door prize drawings, celebrating a successful day of collaboration and professional growth.
The 2026 Summer Symposium showcased the dedication of early childhood educators throughout Deep East Texas and reinforced the shared commitment to providing high-quality learning experiences for children and families. Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas and Texas Rising Star extend their appreciation to all presenters, partners, sponsors, and participants whose contributions made the event a tremendous success.
As the largest professional development event hosted by the Texas Rising Star Deep East team this year, the Summer Symposium provided educators with valuable tools, fresh ideas, and meaningful connections that will continue to support quality early learning environments throughout the region.
