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7 hours
Nashua Community College
Starting at USD 25
Sat, 13 Sep, 2025 at 09:00 am to 04:00 pm (GMT-04:00)
Nashua Community College
505 Amherst Street, Nashua, United States
Join us for the 2025 Keys to Quality Conference, a full-day professional development event for early childhood educators. Dive into expert-led sessions on child development, inclusion, communication, and educator well-being. The day opens with a keynote from Megg Thompson and closes with Scott Noyes. Attendees will earn professional development hours. Full agenda and session descriptions below.
Child Care Aware of New Hampshire (CCAoNH), a program of Community Action Partnership Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties (CAPHR), is pleased to provide this full-day, in-person conference devoted to quality professional development to assist child care programs, early childhood professionals, and administrators in enhancing and improving their practices.
Registration
Registration will take place in the dining area—look for signage to guide you.When you check in, you’ll receive a folder with everything you need for the day, including a campus map and classroom locations.
Dining Area Amenities
Training Sessions
Lunch Options
You’re welcome to:
Every conference, we love to have a little fun with door prizes—and this time is no exception! At this year’s event, keep an eye out for Tucker Turtle and Meddy Teddy hiding around the venue. If you find one, bring it to the registration table to claim a door prize! And that’s not all—Tucker and Meddy will also be part of a special end-of-day giveaway, each paired with a themed kit you won’t want to miss. Let the hunt begin!
NH Cares Scholarship If the cost of attending this conference is a barrier and you are a provider currently working 30 hours or more per week, you may be eligible for the NH Cares Scholarship. This scholarship covers the full conference registration fee only—it does not cover the optional lunch.
The NH Cares Scholarship is non-refundable and non-transferable. To apply, email the following information to with the subject line “NH Cares Scholarship”:
Megg Thompson, M.Ed., Behavior Coach
BIO:
Megg Thompson
As a former Kindergarten teacher of ten years, I came to learn that my place was with children others found challenging (and I found interesting, charismatic, exciting, and determined). I have interned with world-renowned early childhood educator, author, and advocate Bev Bos in Roseville, CA.
Through my life-changing experiences, I have adopted a proactive and strength-based approach to behavior. I provide children with the right tools to help them be their very best. I only use behavior strategies cemented in LOVE. I refuse to use fear-based strategies such as stickers, tickets, tokens, points, clips, and candy. I believe in internal motivation and that rewards and punishments need to hit the trash.
I spend my days in public and private schools, early learning centers, preschools, and homes helping children and adults understand each other better. I also spend my days, many evenings (and weekends) leading professional development workshops for educators, administration, and parents. I use humor, tell stories from my past and current days working with “challenging” children, and magically make time fly by. These workshops can be found in my shop.
Scott Noyes, M.Ed., ECPDST
BIO:
Empowering Programs started in 1986. Scott was a preschool teacher and enjoyed presenting evening parent workshops. Over the next eighteen years, the presentations grew into a full-time profession. Scott currently provides more than 150 sessions each year throughout North America.
Scott has been professionally working, playing, writing, and talking about children for over forty years. He teaches graduate-level courses in "Challenging Behaviors," "Mentor Pedagogy," and Perspectives in Leadership," and undergraduate courses in "Positive Discipline." Scott's first book, "Positive Discipline - That Works!" is in its fourth printing. His second book, "Intentional Language," was released in the fall of 2003. His newest reader, "This Child is Driving Us Crazy - What Should We Do?" helps adults develop effective behavior plans for children with feisty behaviors.
Scott's background includes being,
Shout-Out to Our Vendors & Resource Partners!
A heartfelt thank you to all the incredible vendors and community partners joining us at the conference! Your presence, knowledge, and resources help make the day more meaningful, inspiring, and supportive for everyone in attendance. We’re grateful for the time you take to connect with providers and share tools that strengthen the early childhood community. Your impact matters—thank you!
If you have questions about the Keys to Quality Conference, please contact Child Care Aware of New Hampshire.
Info: Every human has needs in the first hour of the day and during big transitions. Being able to set up an environment so each need is present and can be found by each child matters. Since challenging behaviors are due to a lack of skill or an unmet need, the 10 first hour needs are important in meeting authentic needs of the children in your lives. Let’s talk about morning routines, classroom arrivals, transitions to specials and sporting events. These all need us to know first hour needs!
Info: Professionalism is a huge topic that can keep the education field stagnant and drowning in its constant stereotypes. Taking an honest look at where we currently stand and how to climb the professionalism ladder is pertinent and necessary for teachers, children, families, and the community! We will use NAEYC’s code of ethics as a stepping stone as well as my time as a teacher and consultant in the education field.
Info: This session will answer the following questions: What is ASL? What is baby sign language and how did it get started? Why should I sign with infants, toddlers? What signs should I teach first and why? How do I get parents and caregivers involved and onboard with the use of signing in our learning environment/classroom?
Participants will:
gain general knowledge and understanding of ASL and the Deaf community,
understand the benefits of using sign language with infants and toddlers,
be able to incorporate basic signs into a daily welcome song to use within their learning environment, and
learn ASL signs to accompany books, songs, and play activities.
Info: This presentation explores how positive inquiry shapes our mindset and environments. Using the five principles of Appreciative Inquiry, it demonstrates how shifting from deficit-based questions to strength-based questions builds vitality and new possibilities.
Info: Join us for an informative session exploring the latest updates to the New Hampshire Connections Information System (NHCIS). This presentation walks participants through the system’s refreshed look, new features, and improved navigation. Whether you're a seasoned user or new to the platform, this session will help you confidently navigate NHCIS to support your work and meet licensing and quality requirements with ease.
Info: In this session we will discuss ways to support and reduce picky eating behaviors, while also learning about phrases to use to support healthy eating habits for young children. By the end of this session, you will be able to identify when picky eating habits may need some additional support, how to support early childhood healthy eating habits, and ways to get children of all ages involved in mealtime activities.
Info: Power and control play a huge piece in bullying. Bystanders, research shows, are the solution. And bullying comes from four different places—three of them in the home. Let’s learn as much as we can to keep bullying as just a word—not an action!
Info: This session will answer the following questions: What is ASL? What signs should I teach first and why? How do I get parents and caregivers involved and onboard with the use of signing in our learning environment/classroom?
Participants will:
gain general knowledge and understanding of ASL and the Deaf community,
understand the benefits of using sign language with Preschoolers,
be able to incorporate basic signs into a daily welcome song to use within their learning environment, and
learn ASL signs to accompany books, songs, and play activities.
Info: Join us for an informative session exploring the latest updates to the New Hampshire Connections Information System (NHCIS). This presentation walks participants through the system’s refreshed look, new features, and improved navigation. Whether you're a seasoned user or new to the platform, this session will help you confidently navigate NHCIS to support your work and meet licensing and quality requirements with ease.
Info: In this session you will learn how you, as a childcare educator, can support nursing parents. We will also learn about infant food safety, food introductions and the transition from an infant to a toddler-style diet. By the end of this session, you will be able to identify ways that you can provide support at your center for nursing families, understand how to identify when an infant is ready for solid foods as well as know some important food safety considerations, and understand ways to support parents in transitioning onto a toddler diet at one year.
Info: Lunch & Networking Hour
Enjoy lunch while connecting with fellow providers, exploring resource tables and vendors, and hearing important updates from Child Care Aware of NH. This hour provides one (1) hour of professional development.
Info: Music and movement activate up to eight parts of the brain at once and are powerful tools for calming, engaging, and transitioning children. This breakout introduces practical techniques to use music and movement to enrich early childhood programs. You'll leave with new songs, refreshed classics, and strategies for integrating rhythm into your classroom routines.
Info: This session will provide a space to enter into conversations on building bridges and connections with students and families whose native language is not English. Through engagement, hospitality, and community resources, barriers can simply be the beginning of the learning process, not a deterrent.
Info: From toilet learning to temper tantrums, this seminar explores why toddlers can be both exciting and baffling. By examining key developmental milestones from nine months to three years, we gain insight into the stress and wonder this age brings as children develop their emerging sense of self.
Info: Learn how cultivating curiosity can transform the way professionals support children with Autism. When we have wonderings, we want to find answers. Each year a growing number of children are diagnosed with Autism. This session will define varying identifications and characteristics of this disorder. Understanding will be gained as to why children on the spectrum behave as they do. Tools and strategies will be shared that help support all children with exceptionalities. This session will help to answer some wonderings and hopefully create more curiosity as to how to further support all children.
Info: In this session we will discuss how early childhood educators and administrators can support themselves, children, and other staff in times of high-stress and crisis. We will learn about co-regulation and creating a trauma-responsive space, and go over strategies for an individual educator, for the classrooms, and for centers to support the wellness of all.
Info: Research shows which factors truly impact our lasting happiness. Does more money, better health, or a sunnier climate make us happier? This session explores how consciously choosing feelings about our past, present, and future helps us take control of our emotional well-being. We’ll also discuss how these insights can influence raising authentically happy children by increasing gratification rather than fleeting pleasures.
Also check out other Workshops in Nashua, Health & Wellness events in Nashua, Arts events in Nashua.
Tickets for 2025 Keys to Quality Conference can be booked here.
| Ticket type | Ticket price |
|---|---|
| 9.13.2025 Keys to Quality Conf: Ticket | 25 USD |
| 9.13.2025 Keys to Quality Conf: Ticket with LUNCH | 40 USD |
