Policymakers, Gubernatorial Staff, Local and System Leaders to Convene in D.C. Metro Area for 2025 Early Childhood Leadership Summit

**** 

Contact: Jonathan Ortiz

jortiz@hunt-institute.org | (984) 256-8548

National Harbor, MD – On Wednesday, September 24 – Friday, September 26, 2025, The Hunt Institute will host the annual Early Childhood Leadership Summit at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. The Summit will bring together education leaders and resource experts to discuss early care and learning innovations, policies that support childhood development and family well-being, access to child care, the field’s workforce, and involving business leaders in partnerships that support working parents and strengthen state economies.

The Summit, first envisioned by former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt, is an invitation-only, bipartisan gathering of state teams comprising senior elected officials, gubernatorial staff, locally elected leaders and key early childhood system leaders from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Known as North Carolina’s Education Governor, 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 education advancements while governor is the creation of Smart Start, a statewide network supporting access and quality of early care and education across the state. 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.

“The benefits of supporting early childhood development—starting as early as the prenatal period—last a lifetime,” said Kelly Eppley, Director of Early Learning at The Hunt Institute. “This Summit brings together leaders at every level, from governors and mayors to researchers and advocates, to share what works and help inform policymaking that better supports children, families, and early learning across the country.”

Before the Summit, participants will receive background materials highlighting data on children and families in each state and common issues in early childhood across states. During the three-day event, state teams will collaborate on state-level early learning priorities and action items for beyond the Summit.

“States should invest in early childhood programs just like they invest in K-12 schools, but making this change requires collaboration across government, education, and community leadership to work together,” said The Hunt Institute’s President & CEO, Dr. Javaid Siddiqi. “The Early Childhood Leadership Summit helps state leaders have important discussions with their colleagues at home and learn from other states across the country.”

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.

About The Hunt Institute 

The Hunt Institute, an affiliate of Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, is a leader in transforming 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/