Early Childhood Play Summit
Roots of Play: Growing Strong Futures
through Nature & Joy

August 26, 2025

Bellaboo's Play & Discovery Center | 2800 Colorado St, Lake Station, IN 46405

Are you looking to become a certified PLAY champion? Join us on August 26 for the Early Childhood Play Summit where you can gain valuable insights into the most current and advanced early childhood programming available. This is a unique opportunity to partake in a variety of sessions, including the engaging Invitation to Play, effective strategies for Hosting Early Childhood Events, tips on Fundraising & Sponsorships, and much more.

Agenda

1A: Health First: Chronic Illness in Youth and Childhood Obesity 

Linda Curley – Purdue Extension Lake County
Linda Curley is a Health and Human Sciences Educator for Purdue University Extension.  She holds a Master’s Degree in Child Development and Family Sciences from Purdue University.  Prior to becoming an Educator, Linda worked with Purdue’s Family Nutrition Program and delivered nutrition education to youth and adults in underserved communities.  Curley has been awarded the 2016 Educator of the Year Award for Higher Education from the Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children, the 2019 Purdue Cooperative Extension Specialists’ Association Team Award for the Succession Planning Team, the 2018 Ann Hancock Award for Co-Parenting for Successful Kids, the 2021 Purdue University Corps of Engagement Award for Families Tackling Tough Times Together Steering Committee Member, and the 2022 Purdue University College of Agriculture Team Award for the Purdue Extension Succession Planning Team.  Curley works closely with early childhood educators to strengthen skills to meet the needs of our most vulnerable populations.  She currently serves Lake County, Indiana providing community education and outreach. Her overall focus includes programs highlighting the importance of health and wellness, foods and nutrition, human development and family resource management. 

2A:  Setting the Stage for Multi-Age Play - PLACEHOLDER

Explore the many ways to create a functional, inviting, and high-quality learning environment in this training for early childhood programmers by describing the role of space, furniture, and materials used in multi-age play.

LeAndra Rivera – SPARK Learning Lab
LeAndra Rivera has worked as a teacher and coach in early childhood education for six years, deeply understanding the power of play.  Passionate about developmentally appropriate practices, she believes that infants and toddlers deserve engaging and stimulating environments. LeAndra is dedicated to fostering inclusive and supportive learning spaces for young children. 

2B: Active Supervision: A Game Changing Practice - Jennifer Lundin – SPARK Learning Lab

Unlock the power of active supervision with this learning forum. Join us to explore and talk about transformative strategies that enhance the safety and efficacy of environments for children. This engaging session is designed to empower and elevate your supervision skills and connect with peers to transform your approach to early childhood.

Jennifer Lundin – SPARK Learning Lab
Jennifer is a Trainer with SPARK Learning Lab and has an extensive background in early education within a variety of settings. At SPARK, we design and deliver inclusive, anti-bias, and rigorous approaches to eliminate the gaps between young children’s inherent potential and their achievement in school and life. With our partners, we accelerate child and family outcomes that honor the aspirations and cultures of the communities we serve.

12:15-1:45: Keynote Presentation - Roots of Play: Growing Strong Futures through Nature & Joy

Jen Cullerton Johnson – Green Literacy
Jen Cullerton Johnson is an award-winning children’s author, educator, and environmental advocate. She teaches for Chicago Public Schools, writes about nature and social justice, and founded Books on Benches, a nonprofit bringing books to community spaces. ​She is the co-author of The Green Literacy Handbook (Solution Tree 2025) a book for educators that helps young people think, read and write critically about environmental issues.

Her children's books, including Seeds of Change (2011) and its Spanish edition Semillas de Cambio (2024), and The Story of An Environmentalist (2019) inspire young readers to care for the planet. 

With nearly many years of teaching experience, Jen shares her expertise at conferences nationwide, blending storytelling with environmental education to empower the next generation of changemakers.

3A:Talking is Teaching - Laura Green – First Things First Porter County

Learning begins at birth! When you talk, read, and sing with your children—even before they can use words—you’re building their brains and helping to prepare them for success in school and beyond. To help, we’ve created fun tips and resources to help you talk, read, and sing with your child every day. Organizations, businesses, associations, government offices, and individuals can all play a big role in promoting the importance of talking, reading, and singing. Laura will point you to a library of free materials, all designed to support your efforts in promoting early brain development in your community.

Laura Green – First Things First Porter County
Laura Green grew up in Northwest Indiana and has been passionate about working in the early childhood field for as long as she can remember (she got an early start by following in the footsteps of her mom, a Pre-K educator). She has worked, volunteered, and interned in a multitude of early childhood settings over the past 20 years including childcare centers, preschools, early intervention, and home visiting programs. Throughout this time, she has also enjoyed speaking to students or other groups of professionals about early childhood development and roles in the early childhood field.

 Laura graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. in Early Intervention that specialized her to work with families and children from birth-3. She volunteered on the First Things First Early Learning Collaborative workgroups for over a year before starting her position as the Outreach Coordinator. Laura is thrilled to be working alongside so many amazing professionals serving families in our community to help make Porter County the best place to have and raise a baby.

3B: Seeds of Change/Semias de Cambio: Planting a Path to Peace - Jen Cullerton Johnson – Green Literacy

A picture book biography of scientist Wangari Maathai, the first African woman--and first environmentalist--to win a Nobel Peace Prize (in 2004) for her work planting trees in her native Kenya.

As a young girl in Kenya, Wangari was taught to respect nature. She grew up loving the land, plants, and animals that surrounded her-from the giant mugumo trees her people, the Kikuyu, revered to the tiny tadpoles that swam in the river.

Although most Kenyan girls were not educated, Wangari, curious and hardworking, was allowed to go to school. There, her mind sprouted like a seed. She excelled at science and went on to study in the United States. After returning home, Wangari blazed a trail across Kenya, using her knowledge and compassion to promote the rights of her countrywomen and to help save the land, one tree at a time.

Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace brings to life the empowering story of Wangari Maathai, the first African woman, and environmentalist, to win a Nobel Peace Prize. Engaging narrative and vibrant images paint a robust portrait of this inspiring champion of the land and of women's rights.

Jen Cullerton Johnson – Green Literacy
Jen Cullerton Johnson is an award-winning children’s author, educator, and environmental advocate. She teaches for Chicago Public Schools, writes about nature and social justice, and founded Books on Benches, a nonprofit bringing books to community spaces. ​She is the co-author of The Green Literacy Handbook (Solution Tree 2025) a book for educators that helps young people think, read and write critically about environmental issues.

Her children's books, including Seeds of Change (2011) and its Spanish edition Semillas de Cambio (2024), and The Story of An Environmentalist (2019) inspire young readers to care for the planet. 

With nearly many years of teaching experience, Jen shares her expertise at conferences nationwide, blending storytelling with environmental education to empower the next generation of changemakers.

Note! Lake Station is on Central Time!

8:30AM - 9:00AM CST Muffins and Mingle

9:00AM - 9:30AM CST Welcome & Ice Breaker

9:30-10:45: Session 1A & 1B
Session 1A: Health First: Chronic Illness in Youth and Childhood Obesity - Linda Curley – Purdue Extension Lake County

Session 1B: TBD

11-12:15: Session 2A & 2B
Session 2A: Setting the Stage for Multi-Age Play - LeAndra Rivera – SPARK Learning Lab
Session 2B: Active Supervision: A Game Changing Practice - Jennifer Lundin – SPARK Learning Lab

12:15-1:45: Lunch & Keynote Presentation
Roots of Play: Growing Strong Futures through Nature & Joy - Jen Cullerton Johnson – Green Literacy

1:45-3 PM: Session 3A & 3B

Session 3A: Talking is Teaching - Laura Green – First Things First Porter County
Session 3B: Seeds of Change/Semias de Cambio: Planting a Path to Peace - Jen Cullerton Johnson – Green Literacy

 3-4 PM: Loose Parts – Nature Lab Exploration & Gifts-to-Go