Vermont Child Development Division
Created in partnership with Seed & Sew and brought to you by the State of Vermont Child Development Division. Professional learning for every early childhood educator across the state, at no cost to you.
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Create your account →What to expect
The CDD workshop series is designed to help educators:
Each workshop includes practical examples, real-world classroom applications, and tools you can use immediately. All workshops are approved for credit with Northern Lights and count toward Advanced Specialized Care. Provided in partnership with, and funded by, the Vermont Child Development Division (CDD), and available to all early childhood educators across the state of Vermont.
Workshop library
Learn more about trauma-informed practices to support all children, specifically diving into those affected by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). By understanding the impact of trauma on behavior and brain development, participants will gain practical strategies for creating nurturing, inclusive environments that foster resilience and promote well-being.
Watch the workshop →Explore how to celebrate and embrace diversity within families, helping children recognize and appreciate different family structures from a young age. Participants will learn practical strategies for creating inclusive environments that foster empathy, social understanding, and a sense of belonging in early childhood settings.
Watch the workshop →Dive into an overview of early intervention services and how to support young children through positive, collaborative experiences. Participants will learn strategies for working with families and integrating individualized goals into daily practice to enhance children’s development and success.
Watch the workshop →Explore how the nervous system influences a child’s learning and development and practical strategies to create an inclusive environment for all children. Participants will gain insight into their own nervous system and how it impacts, guides, and supports children’s growth. The workshop also focuses on Universal Design, ensuring environments and practices are accessible and supportive for all learners, promoting equal participation and success for every child.
Watch the workshop →This workshop explores the developmental foundations of language acquisition for English Language Learners (ELL) and provides practical tools for educators. Participants will examine research and developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) specifically for ELLs, and cover strategies to build trusting relationships with children and families through an equity lens, using the science of connection.
Watch the workshop →This workshop explores the foundations of inclusion-focused and connection-centered leadership in early childhood education. Participants will examine the underlying needs that drive children’s behavior and development, with attention to those navigating trauma, systemic inequities, or neurodivergence, and gain actionable strategies to implement inclusive practices across classroom environments, daily interactions, and family partnerships.
Watch the workshop →This workshop explores how teaming for inclusion creates classrooms where everyone feels safety and belonging. Participants will examine approaches for authentic peer connection, integrating supports and services into the classroom, and strengthening adult practices of building classroom systems, with practical strategies for fostering independence and enhancing peer modeling opportunities.
Watch the workshop →This workshop introduces the core principles of Universal Design for Learning and explores how early childhood classrooms, playgrounds, and home environments can be intentionally designed to support diverse sensory, physical, cognitive, and emotional needs. Participants will examine practical strategies for creating flexible, accessible spaces that foster regulation and engagement for all children.
Watch the workshop →This workshop explores how inclusive language and clear, compassionate communication strengthen trust, belonging, and partnership between educators, families, and providers. Participants will learn practical strategies for navigating hard conversations, fostering respectful school-family collaboration, and coordinating and embedding external supports.
Watch the workshop →This workshop explores the foundations of neurodiversity in early childhood, diving into developmental differences through a strengths-based, neuroaffirming lens. Participants will learn how neurodivergence shows up in young children and how to lead a classroom with regulation, communication, and autonomy embedded in daily routines, plus practical, developmentally aligned strategies for guiding behavior through curiosity and co-regulation.
Watch the workshop →This workshop introduces inclusive communication practices that help educators confidently support children with a wide range of communication styles, including non-speaking communicators and those using AAC. Participants will explore how regulation, connection, observation, and curiosity shape communication, and learn practical strategies that honor all forms of expression, including connecting with Gestalt Language Processors.
Watch the workshop →This workshop examines exclusionary discipline in early childhood settings and how these practices impact the development of early learners. Participants will explore the systemic and implicit biases that shape discipline decisions and learn neuroaffirming, trauma-informed alternatives, plus practical tools for strengthening inclusive classroom cultures and implementing program-level changes to promote equity and inclusion.
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