Policymakers, Gubernatorial Staff, Local Leaders, and System Leaders Convene in Las Vegas for the 2024 Early Childhood Leadership Summit

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 4, 2024

Contact: Moriah Martin

mmartin@hunt-institute.org | (240) 272-3379

Las Vegas, NV – On Wednesday, September 4 – September 6, 2024, The Hunt Institute will host the annual Early Childhood Leadership Summit to hear from national resource experts and panelists who will discuss early childhood innovations, and policy successes for young children, families, the early childhood workforce, as well as state economic implications.

The Summit, which was designed by former four-term North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt, is an invitation-only, bipartisan gathering of state teams comprised of senior elected officials, gubernatorial staff, mayors, local elected leaders and key early childhood system leaders from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

 The nation’s first “education governor,” Governor Jim Hunt is a nationally recognized leader in education. He served a historic four terms as governor of North Carolina, and early childhood education was a primary focus of his agenda. Among his many successes in education, his early education program, Smart Start, has been emulated by states across the nation and received the prestigious Innovations in American Government Award from the Ford Foundation and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker will headline the Summit and provide opening remarks on Wednesday, September 4 at the Welcome Dinner & Fireside Chat. Early Childhood has been a major component of Governor Pritzker’s agenda and career. In 2023, Governor Pritzker launched Smart Start Illinois, a comprehensive multi-year plan aimed at eliminating preschool deserts, increasing funding to childcare providers to raise wages and quality, and reaching more vulnerable families with early support. In its first year, Smart Start Illinois exceeded its goals, creating 5,863 preschool seats in preschool deserts throughout the state and adding 26 home visiting programs, serving 3,000 new children. In June 2024, Governor Pritzker, in partnership with the Illinois General Assembly, established Illinois’ new Department of Early Childhood. First proposed by Governor Pritzker in October 2023, the Department of Early Childhood will focus exclusively on early childhood programs and services for young children, improving equity and accessibility for families and caregivers.

“Thank you to The Hunt Institute for convening this critical Summit on early childhood education. I look forward to hearing from other state leaders and bringing this discussion back to Illinois to build on our progress,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Since day one, my administration has taken transformative steps to support our youngest learners and their families. From creating the new Department of Early Childhood to working to eliminate preschool deserts with our Smart Start multi-year plan — we are establishing Illinois as a national leader in early childhood development.”

In advance of the Summit, participants were provided both an issue brief designed to outline the importance of the early years and state data packets highlighting key demographic and outcome data for their individual states.  The three-day Summit will engage participants in critical dialogue focused on the importance of investing in early childhood systems that support children and families. Cross-sector state teams will include representatives from governors’ offices, state legislatures, state departments, mayors, local leaders and state agency representatives.

“We want every state to prioritize its early childhood system in the same way it prioritizes K-12 education, but this type of shift takes constant collaboration among a broad number of stakeholders within each state,” said The Hunt Institute’s President & CEO, Dr. Javaid Siddiqi. “The Early Childhood Leadership Summit is the catalyst for states to have these critical conversations with their colleagues within their home state and to learn from their peers from across the nation.”

Attendees will also hear from a variety of resource experts and education leaders from across the country, including:

• The Honorable JB Pritzker, Governor of Illinois, 2019 – Present
• The Honorable Susana Martinez, Governor of New Mexico, 2011 – 2019
• The Honorable Jim Douglas, Governor of Vermont, 2003 – 2011
• The Honorable Kirsten Baesler, North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction
• The Honorable Aaron Ford, Attorney General of Nevada, 2019 – Present
• The Honorable Laura Novey, Senior Vice President, McGuireWoods Consulting and former Virginia Secretary of Education, 2011 – 2013
• Beth Bye, Commissioner, Connecticut Office of Early Childhood
• Gerry Cobb, Director, Pritzker Children’s Initiative
• Cheryl Oldham, Executive Vice President, Human Capital, Bipartisan Policy Center
• Dr. Phil Fisher, Stanford Graduate School of Education
• Elliot Steinberg, President, Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation
• Among other notable resource experts

The Early Childhood Summit is designed to inspire and support elected officials and education leaders across the nation as they develop and strengthen early childhood systems.

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About The Hunt Institute 

The Hunt Institute, an affiliate of the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy, is a recognized leader in the movement to transform public education. Marshaling expertise from a nationwide partner network since its establishment in 2001, The Institute brings together people and resources that help build and nurture visionary leadership and mobilize strategic action for greater educational outcomes and student success. For more information, please visit: http://www.hunt-institute.org/