The training your whole team has been waiting for.
Head Start East Live brings the field's best trainers and experts straight to you — a full day built for your classroom workforce on Thursday, plus pre- and post-conference intensives and dedicated tracks for every role on your team.
We worked with New York State to get HSE Live approved through the ASPIRE registry and for funding through the Educational Incentive Program (EIP), which reimburses eligible early childhood staff for the cost of attending. In practice, a program can send its team and have the state cover the tuition.
Apply for EIP at ecetp.pdp.albany.edu. It is a pre-application, so apply now — the event is September 23. If your timing is tight, email us and we will help you sort it out. Not sure if you qualify? Email info@headstarteast.org and we will walk you through it.
Three evenings built for connection, and every meal in between — all of it covered by Head Start East.
Breakfast every morning you’re here and lunch every day you’re in session are included too. See what’s being served →
Convening, celebrating and feeding the people who show up for children and families every day is worth investing in. So we do.
Ashley McGraw Architects is dedicated to designing learning environments that support children, educators, and communities. Our nationally recognized Early Education Studio has completed more than 150 licensed early childhood education projects across the United States and internationally. Working alongside our Landscape Architecture Studio, our team brings expertise in both indoor and outdoor learning environments, including childcare centers, schools, Head Start programs, nature-based play environments, playgrounds, and children’s gardens.
Say hello at their table in the Mohawk Ballroom · ashleymcgraw.com
Built so you can send your whole team.
Four parallel tracks run side by side — so your teachers, coaches, fiscal staff, and leaders each get exactly what they need. One trip, one venue, one week.
Inclusive play, toddler language & CLASS, AI in the classroom.
Resilient classrooms & trauma-informed leadership without burnout.
Challenging behaviors, home visit safety, interactions to impact.
A two-day Fiscal Summit, home-visit safety & staff wellness.
How the three days break out.
The main HSE Live day is Thursday, September 24 — built for your early-childhood classroom workforce. Pre- and post-conference programs run right alongside it, so there's something for every role all week long.
Two ticketed intensives begin, plus an evening for governance.
A full day for the classroom workforce — the teachers working directly with kids — with two intensives still running in parallel.
The certification cohort finishes while leaders gather to wrap up.
The Head Start Family & Community Celebration
Building Belonging, Parent Voice and Partnership
September 23, 5:30–8:30 PM at Turning Stone. The evening is built around belonging, parent voice, and family partnership. We share dinner, connect with one another, and explore practical ways to strengthen family engagement — and to create more meaningful opportunities for parents to contribute and lead within their Head Start communities.
It is not a formal lecture. It is meant to feel conversational and useful, with real examples and ideas people can take back to their own programs.
It is open to parents, Policy Council members, family services staff, and program leaders. We built it working closely with several of the local agencies in the area, so that it would be something made specifically for the Head Start community while everyone is together at Turning Stone.
Head Start East covers the cost of this evening and opens it to the community at no charge. We think being together matters more now than ever.
Registering for HSE Live does not sign you up for Wednesday evening, and the Friday Director Brunch is a separate event as well. That is why you will not see this evening on your registration confirmation.
Sessions worth the trip.
Headlined by our featured luncheon talk — plus three breakout slots with three sessions to pick from in each. Here is the full Thursday lineup.
One day. Priced so you can bring the whole team.
The Professional Development Day on September 24 is open to all attendees and priced per person — register early and bring 5 or more to save the most.
Professional Development Day
The flagship day of HSE Live: Syracuse — keynotes, breakout sessions & networking. Open to all attendees.
🍽 Lunch is included — the Working Luncheon with our featured talk, plus morning coffee and breaks. What’s served
Per person · tiered by registration date & group size.
Register Now →Fiscal Leadership Summit
Two full days of in-person instruction with Perry Davis, MBA — the deep fiscal training your team never gets because nobody else offers it. Includes meals + the reception.
CLASS® Observation Certification
The full three-day certification — it runs as a small cohort, and once it's full, that's it.
Three days that actually feel good.
At Turning Stone Resort, the learning is only half of it — reconnect with your team and your field over good food, good company, and a little karaoke.
Where to stay, and how we wrap up.
Hotel & Lodging
Turning Stone has several on-property accommodation options — and parking on property is complimentary.
Parking, check-in, finding your rooms and what to pack — it's all on Know Before You Go →
Directors & Leadership Brunch
A relaxed closing brunch for directors and leadership. Free to attend — registration is required so we can plan headcount.
Reserve a Spot →Bring your whole team this September.
HSE Live Syracuse · Sep 23–25, 2026 · Turning Stone Resort, Verona NY
Register Now →Know a program that should be here? Forward this page to their director.