Conference on the Young Years (CYY)

The Conference on the Young Years offers many opportunities for early childhood professionals in Missouri. Conference attendees can:

• Gather with over 1,700 early childhood professionals from around the state to connect, collaborate, and learn together. 
• Choose from over 100 presentations and attend the speakers that interest you most.
• Learn from national and Missouri based speakers along with practitioners who will be presenting on topics relevant to early childhood professionals.
• Gain information about the resources available to early childhood professionals from vendors in the exhibitor hall.
• Enjoy networking with your peers in early childhood professions.

The CYY conference normally attracts more than 1,700 professionals ranging from teachers, caregivers, and administrators for children birth to third grade. They come from a variety of early childhood settings including public schools, private programs, Head Start, Early Head Start, early childhood home providers, home visiting programs, directors, and representation from other agencies who work in the field of early childhood.

Presentations have been chosen specifically for early childhood professionals working in a variety of settings and with a range of ages.

Professional Development Tracks Available at CYY:

• Home Visiting 
• Infant / Toddler 
• Preschool
• Elementary (Kindergarten-3rd Grade)​​​​​
• Administration/Leadership

Humorous speaker, Charles Marshall, is without a doubt one of the funniest and most original professional speakers providing corporate content today. His comedy videos have been viewed by millions of people worldwide on multiple social media platforms. Charles is the founder and president of M Power Resources, a company dedicated to providing growth resources for businesses and individuals. He has over 20 years of full-time experience as a motivational speaker and comedian. He is the author of several books including: The Seven Powers of Success and I‘m Not Crazy But I Might Be a Carrier. He also has produced and performed two full-length comedy videos, Fully Animated and I’m Just Sayin’!

Derek Clark is an inspiring motivational speaker/trainer. His popular keynotes are "The Power of Resilience and Redemption: From Brutal Trauma to Triumph" and "You Cannot Think Negative About a Child and Expect a Positive Outcome". He is the author of seven books including: Disable the Label: Never Limit the Potential of a Child, Never Limit Your Life, and the I Will Never Give Up book series. Derek’s true-life trials and personal triumphs have inspired organizations worldwide with his message of resilience, hope, courage, unwavering perseverance, and redemption. He recently received the International Foster Care Award through SOS Children's Village, which helps and protects children in 134 countries.

Derek has also been a featured expert on CNN Headline News, The Steve Harvey TV Show, The Ricki Lake TV Show, and other TV shows around the world. Recently, Derek has become a viral video sensation for his “Rapping Dad” videos, which have had over 250 million social media views. You may keep up with his exciting journey by following him on Facebook or his viral video Rapping Dad page.

Kim Strobel is a renowned motivational speaker, sought after by schools, businesses, and organizations worldwide. With her powerful message about the impact of happiness on well-being and the pursuit of fulfillment, she traverses the globe, sharing her insights. Kim specializes in empowering educators and professionals, equipping them with the necessary tools and strategies to shift their mindsets, reclaim their happiness, reignite their passion, and lead with purpose.

Drawing from her extensive background as a teacher and curriculum director, Kim’s ultimate aim is to inspire her audience. Through her engaging talks, she presents captivating research, heartwarming anecdotes, and practical steps for achieving life-altering results.

Roy Moye III is a dynamic speaker, singer, aerospace engineer, and the founder of STEMusic LLC. He earned his bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from Wichita State University and has worked in the aerospace industry for the past eight years. As an accomplished singer, he has sung the National Anthem for multiple professional sports teams, earned a Grammy nomination with his Group "1 Tribe Collective," and has a music video with 46 million views. Roy is also an accomplished speaker with TEDx Talk and serves as a regular speaker for thousands of students and educators at USA Science and Engineering festival events. He is passionate about the mission of STEMusic, which aims to inspire the next generation of multicultural STEM professionals through engaging and entertaining music.

Sharron Krull is a passionate, playful, and inspiring early childhood educator. She has a B.S. in Education from Miami University (Ohio) and a California Community College Lifetime Early Childhood Teaching Credential. Sharron's teaching experience spans over fifty years, encompassing nearly all areas of early childhood education. She is a veteran preschool teacher, having taught and directed at parent co-operative preschools for 20 years, with 12 years as an outdoor teacher. She has been a child development instructor at several California community colleges. Sharron is the co-author of two teacher resource books, "Circle Time Activities for Young Children" and "Play Power: Games and Activities for Young Children." She is currently a "Teacher of Teachers" through her company Play Power at www.sharronkrull.com and an Educational Consultant for Discount School Supply. With her down-to-earth approach and hands-on teaching methods, Sharron speaks at early childhood conferences nationwide conducting workshops and staff trainings.

Ernesto Rodriguez is a gifted presenter and specialist specializing in Early Childhood and Early Literacy Development. He has had an impact on schools and children for over 25 years. He is a three-time Teacher of the Year award winner and was a certified Master Reading Teacher in the State of Texas.

As an educator, Ernesto worked extensively with children and teachers on best practices tied to Early Childhood Education and Early Literacy.

At Scholastic Education, his expertise with early childhood and developmentally appropriate practices has also been at the core of many early childhood initiatives as well as curriculum development.

Due to his extensive experience with early childhood and early literacy, Ernesto is also given the charge at Scholastic to conduct presentations on research-based best practices at national-, regional-, and state-level early childhood conferences, while representing Scholastic as Director of Early Childhood.

Meet 'Quirky Kid' Amy Nelson, the creative force behind the heartwarming children's book Every Bunny Can Learn: A Tail of Inclusion. With firsthand experience as an autistic professional and extensive expertise as a play therapist and social-emotional learning coach, Amy is dedicated to inspiring early childhood educators to LEAN IN and embrace neurodiversity and inclusion in the classroom. Her engaging storytelling and passion for helping children thrive make her a sought-after speaker at conferences and events nationwide. Learn more at www.emotionalmilestones.com.

Jennifer Daniels is a performing songwriter, author, and Wolf Trap-trained teaching artist with a master's in counseling. She writes for (and with) kids and adults, and her playful presentations are more like concerts, using the arts to foster social-emotional growth and curricular learning. Jenn has released nine music albums, three novels, a picture book, and two humans into the world. She lives in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where she collaborates with teachers in the local schools and Head Starts. Her biggest claim to fame with the early childhood education set is that she also works for Eric Litwin, author of Pete the Cat, I Love My White Shoes.

Jill Molli is the Director of Mission Expansion. In her role, Jill facilitates school districts in improving school culture, unity, and communication and increasing resiliency, wellness, and achievement throughout every level of the district. Helping administrators and teachers achieve lasting, transformational change for themselves and the children and families in their care is her life’s mission. The Conscious Discipline events, trainings, educational tools, coaching, and resources Jill shares empowers her to live that mission to the fullest. Conscious Development utilizes a trauma-informed, evidence-based philosophy that encompasses self-regulation, discipline, and safe problem-solving.

Location:

Tan-Tar-A Conference Center

494 Tan Tar A Drive

Osage Beach, MO 65065

Group Room Rate:

Use code YNGY when booking your room.

Single Room: $132 per night

Double Room: $132 per night

One Bedroom Suite: $210.12 per night

Two Bedroom Suite: $317.24 per night

Reservation Instructions:

Click here to make a reservation.

Enter your arrival and departure dates, and click “Check Availability.”

OR

Call 800-826-8272, and identify yourself as an attendee of CYY with group discount “YNGY.”

The discounted rate is available until February 6, or based on availability.

Registration will open on December 6, 2023.

Children

The Conference on the Young Years is specifically planned and available to meet the professional development needs of adults in the field of Early Childhood. In order for all presenters to have the full and undivided attention of the participants, we ask those attending with children to not bring them into the sessions.

Lactation Room

For individuals needing a space, please visit the CYY registration table, and they will give you access to the room reserved for your needs.

Name Badge

Your name badge identifies you as a CYY participant and must be worn at all times during the conference. If you do not have a valid name badge, you will not be able to enter presentations.

Scanning Information / Clock Hours

Participants requiring child care clock hours or verification for an administrator, must register for the conference using a valid MOPDID number. This can be completed on the MOPD system.

Participants must also have their name badge scanned by a planning committee member upon entrance and exit of each presentation (including all keynotes) to verify their attendance. Name badges will not be scanned at any other time.

If you DO NOT need proof of attendance, you DO NOT need to have your badge scanned when you exit a session.

After the conference, participants who provided a MOPDID number and scanned in/out of sessions will have their attendance uploaded to the Missouri Professional Development system (MOPD).

In-service/clock hours are available as follows:

• Day 1 (up to 7 hours)
• Day 2 (up to 7 hours)
• Day 3 (up to 3.5 hours)

We are pleased to invite you to register for an exhibitor booth. There are approximately 50 booths available which will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. These spaces will fill quickly. Be aware that no on-site registrations will be accepted.

Click here to read more about vendors and exhibitors.

If you have any questions or need additional information, contact Jamie Schieber, Custom Meeting Planners at 573-445-2965 or at Jamie@custommeetingplanners.com.

Many sponsorship opportunities are offered. If you are interested in getting your company name in front of the many CYY attendees; we have created several opportunities at different price ranges to do so. Sponsorships range from badge holders/lanyards to notebooks and pens. If you have an idea for a sponsorship, we will work with you to customize a sponsorship that works for you.

Read more about sponsorship opportunities.

If you have any questions or need additional information, contact Jamie Schieber, Custom Meeting Planners at 573-445-2965 or at Jamie@custommeetingplanners.com.

Contact: 
Professional Development Team

Email: MOPD@dese.mo.gov

Phone: 573-526-3221

• Highlights from 2023