Foundational Support

These trainings from ECEP are the foundation of all our classes. They are beneficial to anyone new to the early childhood profession. They target the essential principles of early child care and are great refreshers to enroll in.

Each foundation training includes up-to-date, need-to-know information that equips the early childhood practice. All ECEP trainings are FREE for anyone to attend and offer the following:

  • Professional development credit from the Arkansas Professional Development Registry (PDR)
  • FREE training materials and access to in-depth content, including a participant manual and other resources
  • Continuing Education Units, upon request
  • Certificate of Completion and Verification of Training Hours, upon request
  • Opportunity to collaborate and build community engagement with other industry experts
  • Visit the Arkansas Professional Development Registry to find available training or call (800) 632-8754.

Building Relationships with Infants and Toddlers is a 4-hour training designed to equip early childhood educators with practical strategies to nurture strong, caring connections with infants and toddlers, supporting their overall development. 

Building Relationships with Infants and Toddlers helps early educators:

  • Identify the process through which children learn to understand and manage their emotions, form relationships with others, and develop social skills
  • Understand why a relationship-based approach is important to development
  • Develop strategies to guide infant and toddler behavior effectively
  • Promote meaningful engagement with families

Building Relationships with Infants and Toddlers includes the following lessons:

  1. Young Infants  1 hour
  2. Mobile Infants  1 hour
  3. Toddlers  1 hour
  4. Group Coaching  1 hour
Coaching for Constructive Feedback and Tough Talks is a 3-hour training designed to equip early childhood leaders with practical tools to give clear, supportive feedback and handle difficult conversations with confidence. Rooted in the principles of practice-based coaching, participants learn why feedback is often avoided and how to encourage honest dialogue, and navigate resistance. Using strategies like the GROW® Coaching Model this training offers real-world language, reflection activities, and techniques to promote accountability, clarity, and growth.
GROW® Coaching is a 6-hour training that equips leaders with the skills to become more effective coaches using the GROW® Coaching Model. Participants learn how to strengthen the impact of everyday conversations, adopt a coach-like mindset, and coach more frequently and intentionally—leading to improved practice, stronger interactions, and better outcomes.
Introduction to Coaching Skills is a 3-hour interactive training in which participants overview the benefits of coaching and learn about the skills and mindset needed for coaching to be successful. Through a series of information and hands-on activities, participants practice active listening, asking high quality questions, and the GROW coaching model, putting them on the path to turn work-experienced challenges into learning situations.
Leading Yourself is a 3-hour training designed to help early childhood leaders and professionals enhance their skills by using personality assessment information to develop strategies for more effective communication and collaboration. 

What if you could spend eight sessions with an amazing mentor? What would be the impact on child and family outcomes? Based on the bestselling book, Monday Morning Leadership, this 6-hour training helps leaders develop the eight key leadership principles outlined in the Monday Morning Leadership book. These concepts are simple, doable, and can be implemented immediately. But, more importantly, they work! Monday Morning Leadership is a training that offers unique encouragement and direction to help you become a better manager, employee, and person.

In this training, participants will discuss eliminating blame and accepting total responsibility; why confusion is the biggest workplace stressor; why every person on the team must be coached; that integrity is the foundation of trust, which is an essential element of successful leadership; the value of hiring tough; and how to improve at time management.

Monday Morning Leadership includes the following objectives:

  1. Making Tough Decisions
  2. Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing
  3. Keep Your Stars Shining
  4. The ‘Do Right’ Rule
  5. Hire Tough
  6. Do Less Work Faster
  7. Buckets and Dippers
  8. Enter the Learning Zone
Resilient Early Childhood Educators is a 6-hour training that helps early childhood educators recognize and manage stress, burnout, and fatigue through practical strategies that strengthen well-being, promote healthy coping skills, and support long-term success in the profession.
Team Building: Connecting for Success is a 3-hour training designed to show leaders how to help team members perform better together. This training focuses on how effective teamwork builds trust, boosts creative problem-solving, and increases efficiency and productivity. Prerequisite required: Leading Yourself. Limited availability.

The Arkansas Department of Education approves all training provided by Early Care and Education Projects for professional development credit. However, the awarding of professional development credit based on attendance at this workshop is solely at the discretion of the local school district. Learn more at the Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing Professional Development (Aug 2024).