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2026 Early Childhood Educators Conference

Monday, February 9, 2026
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM (EST)

Discover fresh ideas and practical strategies at the Early Childhood Educators Conference! This year’s program features dynamic sessions designed to help educators reimagine learning spaces, strengthen parent partnerships, and build future-ready classrooms.

Highlights include:

  • Heidi Tringali on how space shapes student success and how to design environments where every child thrives.

  • Breakout choices including research-based literacy tools with Katharine Bonasera or strategies to maximize parent partnerships with Heidi Tringali.

  • A visionary keynote from Pam Mundy exploring early childhood learning in a future-centric world.

Join us for a day of inspiration, networking, and actionable takeaways you can bring back to your school community.

Registration Options

Credits Price
NCAIS Member Registration
6.00 (CEU) $195.00
Guest Registration
6.00 (CEU) $245.00

Hampton Inn - Charlotte Matthews

9615 Independence Pointe Pkwy

Matthews, NC 28105
(704) 841-1155

Registration Website 

This hotel is approximately 2 miles and 8 minutes from Covenant Day School. 

There is no official block reserved, this is the recommended hotel.  The room rate is around $100/per night. 

Heidi Tringali

Heidi holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Special Education and Psychology from Hastings College and a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University. She has practiced as an Occupational Therapist for 35 years.

Heidi founded Tringali Occupational Therapy Services (T.O.T.S) in 2006 in response to an identified need for Occupational Therapy services in independent schools. Heidi provides training and education to faculty and families on topics related to classroom success and maximizing student performance. She consults throughout the country on curriculum development and school-wide programming.

Heidi is currently licensed in Maine, North Carolina, and South Carolina. She is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), where she serves as a Media Expert. Heidi holds a national certification with the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). She also serves as an Expert Witness/Consultant for legal cases related to pediatric Occupational Therapy.

Heidi and her husband, Tony, live in Charlotte, North Carolina. They have two adult children, Sedonia and Thomas.

Heidi Tringali - Writer, Speaker, OT, Believer and Mom

Pam Mundy 

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 Pam is a highly experienced K-12 education professional, internationally renowned author and keynote speaker with global recognition for her specialism in the development of Early Childhood Education and Care, international education, school review and accreditation, inspection, analytical due diligence and school start up projects in a variety of diverse locations including; Africa, SE Asia, USA, the Gulf region (including significant projects in North America, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, ME and SE Asia) .

She recently completed four years as Founding Director of Schools and Education for the NEOM Education, Research and Innovation Sector, leading education development and school start up in the new giga city of NEOM, Saudi Arabia. Previous executive roles include a tenure in North America for WCL (now owned by NAE), as Director of Quality and Development.

 Pam was honoured to be short-listed by the Lead 50/50 organisation as ‘Inspirational Woman of the Year, 2022’ and to be named as one of the Think Global People 40 Outstanding Global Women 2023. Her most recent publication, the co-authored ‘International Schools: Navigating Leadership Culture and Context’ (Fulton Books) was released in January 2024. 


Katharine Bonasera

Katharine Bonasera is a Manager of Educational Partnerships with Collaborative Classroom for Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina. She has 18 years of teaching and leadership experience in urban school environments, serving as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, and principal. In addition to her school-based experience, she has coached early career Teach For America teachers and served as an advisor with Relay Graduate School of Education’s National Principals Academy Fellowship. She is passionate about cultivating school environments that foster connection, equitable practices, and the opportunity for all community members to thrive.

For More Information:

Meghan Hilleboe
Meghan Hilleboe
North Carolina Association of Independent Schools (704)461-1812x4